Submitted by Brandy (Toby) Taylor:
In our early twenties, my husband and I became Christians. We had heard about Christ for some time and felt God drawing us to Him as a family. We could no longer resist His calling and accepted Him as our Savior. We began looking for a church, digging into Bible reading, praying, and finally were baptized. We sought to follow and obey the Lord wholeheartedly and were excited about God’s changes in our hearts and lives.
As we continued to grow and learn and allow God to open our eyes, one area He brought to our attention was tithing. Tithing? What exactly was that? We began to recognize that this meant giving to God the first fruits of our labor and honoring God with not only our hearts but our deeds, as well.
At the time, we were financially struggling. I was a stay-at-home mom, homeschooling our boys, and my husband was a mechanic. He worked hard each and every day, but still, money was tight. It was very tight. How could I possibly give money to God when I didn’t even know how we would put food on the table or pay this month’s electric bill? Tithing was a great thought but seemed unreachable. We truly believed it was out of reach for us.
One day, the boys and I sat waiting in line in the McDonald’s drive-thru. We were able to do that with a strict $3-a-person allowance. While sitting there, I heard God telling me, “Start here.” I immediately felt God’s conviction on this spending. We had food at home, so instead of spending money for McDonald’s, tithe this money and go home and eat lunch. Tithe $9? Yep. And that’s what we did.
From that moment on, tithing became a part of our lives. The money we gave was in small amounts, but it was given with a willing heart. As we looked and prayed for God’s continued conviction, we quickly fell into a routine tithing schedule. It did not start with much, but we were consistent and happy to give. The result was amazing. Our bills were paid each and every month, even though, on paper, it seemed impossible, God always provided.
As the boys continued to grow and the standard opportunities arose for them, we were blessed beyond measure. Without our asking, people paid for our kids to go to summer camps and retreats and attend special events in Boy Scouts, which they were a part of. To this day, we don’t know who made these things happen for our boys, but we were thankful then and continue to be thankful today to those who were a blessing to us.
God’s provision through these faithful givers inspired us to start a “Be a Blessing” fund to enable us to help others. It started with $500 from an income tax return. Day-to-day was still a struggle, but tax money was “extra,” so it seemed a good place to start. We set this money aside and asked God to please show us how we could be a blessing to those around us. We knew God had blessed us, and now we wanted Him to use us to “Be a Blessing” to others without impacting our already stretched day-to-day budget.
It is a fantastic feeling to look around and see the financial needs people may have and be able to help, giving all thanks to God. Though I cannot remember everything we did with that first bit of money, I remember a few. We were able to help a neighbor whose house had burnt down, help another neighbor who had fallen on hard times, buy diapers for a new, young mother who was struggling, and Toby, being a mechanic, was able to fix someone’s car, free of charge.
Today we continue to have a “Be a Blessing” fund in our budget. However, now we add to it with every paycheck, alongside our monthly tithe to the church. We keep this money in an envelope, in cash, so we have money ready to give regardless of the situation. Through the years, we have been able to help friends in need, provide food for those who need it, donate toward mission trips, help pay for retreats for kids, provide for the needy at Christmas, put on a baby shower for a young lady who had lost her mother, and many more.
Without a doubt, God used our own times of need to prepare our hearts with the desire to someday “Be a Blessing” to others. Our someday is today. It didn’t start off in the place we are in now, it started with a conviction to make a small change. Our faithfulness and God’s provisions have allowed for this. How can you be a blessing to someone in need today? This can look different for each person. Prayerfully consider how you might be a blessing, even if you don’t believe you can.
Be a blessing to someone today!
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Psalms 23:1-3 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.