Some humans are trustworthy and keep most or even all of them promises. God is ALWAYS trustworthy and keeps ALL of his promises ALL of the time. Some people will give you a great deal on a car or a house or a boat. It's a sweet feeling when you get a bargain and acquire something you've been wanting for a long time. Heavenly Father offers the sweetest deals of all. They are ALWAYS stacked heavily in OUR favor.
One of these deals is tithing.
Tithing.
Yes, tithing.
Tithing is paying a tithe, or a tenth, or your income back to God.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I give my tithing to my bishop. I don't even consider it to be mine. If I make $1,000, I write a check for $100 to my ward and it is sent to the Church and then used for so many neat things. There's way too much to explain about that for this blog, but building temples is one way tithing is used.
Okay, so what does this have to do with zucchini? And what does it have to do with the first question I asked- about needing help and how to get it? Well, the Bible can answer that question.
Malachi 3:10
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there maybe meat in mine house, and prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
That is a serious promise. Give 10% back to God and there shall not be room enough to receive the blessings. It's like zucchini. A good healthy zucchini plant produces more than even my family of 8 can handle eating. It's seriously impressive, like it just turns water into a big fat zucchini overnight. People end up leaving them in boxes on their porches with "free" signs or even doorbell ditching their neighbors with their excess blessing of this prolific vegetable.
And that is how tithing works. It doesn't make sense. You offer up 10% of your hard earned money and the blessings come flowing in. "Prove me herewith". He made us a promise, but it's up to us to prove to OURSELVES that God means it. How cool is that? Seriously, is there a self help book out there that asks for less and offers more and then actually delivers?
I don't think so.
You must be thinking, "There's a catch. I know it." and you are right.
Here's the catch- We don't get to choose the blessings.
But, we do get to "pick" them, in the zucchini sense, if we make the choice to receive the blessings that will come so abundantly that we will be filled to overflowing.
This would be a great place to end this blog, but there's still an elephant sized zucchini in the virtual room here. . .
What about people, like me, who have always paid their tithing without fail? What about when I am in need of help and I'm already crossing the t's of tithing and dotting the i's of obedience? Where do I turn?
The same place. When you pay your tithing you have the right to "prove" God " herewith". You have the right to go to him in prayer and ask him for those blessings. And he will send you the ones that you need.
Your job is then to recognize that cornucopia of overflowing blessings when it comes. I once prayed and asked for money. It was short, direct, and out loud, "Dear Heavenly Father, I'm really stressed out about money right now. Could you please send us some extra money?" I then thought, " Hmm, the answer will probably be no, but I'd sure like it if just once I got a mysterious check in the mail from someone." Wouldn't that be amazing? But that's not what happened, not that time anyway. Instead, in a very short period of time I was given the opportunity to earn some money by teaching piano lessons and working at a preschool where my daughter could also attend for free. I recognized the answer, took both opportunities, and have been blessed both financially and with rich life experiences because of it, including developing a close relationship with my nieces and nephews whom I teach.
And sometimes those miraculous financial blessings are dropped in your lap- through others who follow the spirit, like a blessing we received a few years ago. Christmas time is hard on self employed people because a lot of other people don't like to pay their bills in December. We weren't in desperate straights, but Christmas was looming and stressful and my little girl had just received new glasses for the first time, but she hated them. They hurt her face, but they were the only pair that she could choose that fit her and was covered by insurance. I wanted to buy her a new pair for a great price online, but I wasn't sure if they were small enough or comfortable without trying them on. And then, randomly, an angel member of our church congregation gave me a check for $400. The prompting that she followed was a Christmas miracle for us. Not only were we able to buy presents without worrying, but I was also able to take my sweet Emmeline to the optometrist and let her pick out a new pair of glasses that she liked and fit her well. My heart overflowed as I received these blessings.
The blessings are not always financial, but they are always what I need. A friend. A hug. An opportunity. An insight. Peace. Even zucchini. Sometimes it just depends on how you look at it. Zucchini actually makes me gag when cooked alone, but when I put in in muffins. . . (cue heavenly music here) . . . well, it's magic. magic zucchini bread or muffins or zucchini pancakes
Pay tithing- get zucchini, or whatever overflowing blessings that God has in store for you- so wonderful, so abundant, that you will not have room to receive it all. You just might have to share.
This would be a great place to end this blog, but there's still an elephant sized zucchini in the virtual room here. . .
What about people, like me, who have always paid their tithing without fail? What about when I am in need of help and I'm already crossing the t's of tithing and dotting the i's of obedience? Where do I turn?
The same place. When you pay your tithing you have the right to "prove" God " herewith". You have the right to go to him in prayer and ask him for those blessings. And he will send you the ones that you need.
Your job is then to recognize that cornucopia of overflowing blessings when it comes. I once prayed and asked for money. It was short, direct, and out loud, "Dear Heavenly Father, I'm really stressed out about money right now. Could you please send us some extra money?" I then thought, " Hmm, the answer will probably be no, but I'd sure like it if just once I got a mysterious check in the mail from someone." Wouldn't that be amazing? But that's not what happened, not that time anyway. Instead, in a very short period of time I was given the opportunity to earn some money by teaching piano lessons and working at a preschool where my daughter could also attend for free. I recognized the answer, took both opportunities, and have been blessed both financially and with rich life experiences because of it, including developing a close relationship with my nieces and nephews whom I teach.
And sometimes those miraculous financial blessings are dropped in your lap- through others who follow the spirit, like a blessing we received a few years ago. Christmas time is hard on self employed people because a lot of other people don't like to pay their bills in December. We weren't in desperate straights, but Christmas was looming and stressful and my little girl had just received new glasses for the first time, but she hated them. They hurt her face, but they were the only pair that she could choose that fit her and was covered by insurance. I wanted to buy her a new pair for a great price online, but I wasn't sure if they were small enough or comfortable without trying them on. And then, randomly, an angel member of our church congregation gave me a check for $400. The prompting that she followed was a Christmas miracle for us. Not only were we able to buy presents without worrying, but I was also able to take my sweet Emmeline to the optometrist and let her pick out a new pair of glasses that she liked and fit her well. My heart overflowed as I received these blessings.
The blessings are not always financial, but they are always what I need. A friend. A hug. An opportunity. An insight. Peace. Even zucchini. Sometimes it just depends on how you look at it. Zucchini actually makes me gag when cooked alone, but when I put in in muffins. . . (cue heavenly music here) . . . well, it's magic. magic zucchini bread or muffins or zucchini pancakes
Pay tithing- get zucchini, or whatever overflowing blessings that God has in store for you- so wonderful, so abundant, that you will not have room to receive it all. You just might have to share.
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