Tithing & Blessings

I've had this post swimming around in my head for several weeks now, but I have hesitated to write it.  I'm not sure why.  I guess maybe because this blog has turned into more of a crafty/ creative outlet and less of a bare-your-soul kind of outlet lately.  Maybe because these experiences have been a little too close to my heart.  It's far easier to write about recipes and sewing projects than things that actually mean something to me, but may be a huge joke to someone else.  I've never really been one to "stir the pot" either by bringing up potentially controversial topics like politics or religion.  {Or housekeeping, apparently.}  But I just keep thinking about it -- even at 2:30 in the morning when I really wish I was sleeping.  So, just know that you can take this post with a grain of salt.  Or click away if you would rather not dabble in spirituality for today.  I'll be back tomorrow with some fun New Years Eve snack recipes, if I get my act together.

Many of you may know that we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons.  My husband and I have both been members all our lives and we are raising our children the same.  One of the many "weird" things that Mormons do is pay tithing.  For anyone who is unfamiliar with the concept, tithing is the practice of returning a portion of your wealth {usually 10%} back to the spiritual source from whence those blessings come.  We believe that everything we have has been given to us by our Heavenly Father {or God} and that by giving a small portion back to Him we show our gratitude and recognize our dependence on Him as the source of all our blessings.  Tithing is an ancient spiritual tradition that has been practiced by many of the great civilizations in history.  The practice is referenced in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.  One of my favorite scriptures referencing tithing is Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Years ago I read Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnatch, and she talked about tithing as a metaphysical law of prosperity.  She said, " Spiritual law, no matter which path, tells us as we give, so shall we receive.  We realize that money is a form of energy.  Energy does not increase if it is hoarded.  Energy must circulate freely for power to be released.  When we receive an increase of money in our lives, giving away a portion of that money keeps the channels of abundance circulating freely, as Spirit intended. On a practical level, tithing allows us to express our thanksgiving with action.  Returning some of the material good we receive is a tangible demonstration of trust."  She goes on to say, " My experience with tithing on the Simple Abundance path has been erratic but amazing.  When I tithe, I experience more financial serenity than when I don't.  The money seems to stretch further or my expenses diminish.  When I tithe I am able to save more with ease, and new moneymaking opportunities arrive, often unsolicited.  The floodgates of heaven do shower me with blessings, although I've not yet reached the point at which I can't find room for more.  When I don't tithe, I'm not struck down, but I do start to worry about money.  There seem to be longer stretches between bank deposits and more unexpected expenses, which always end up costing more than the amount my tithe would have been.  So I know it's time to write a check.  Wait and watch what happens.  Very quickly, the ebb recedes and the flow begins again.  Coincidence?"

I've heard stories like that my entire life, and I have always paid tithing even though that has not been my personal experience.  I think there's a lot to be said for doing what you feel to be right without needing a personal reward for your actions.  Paying tithing has increased my faith exponentially, which is as good a blessing as I could ever hope for.  I've mentioned in passing that my husband is out of work right now.  It's fine, really.  That's what we keep telling ourselves.  I mean, except for the no income thing it has been really great having him home.  He lost his job on November 19th, without any form of severance pay.  So there we were, right before the holidays with no job and no insurance.  No way to pay for Christmas and three fantastic kids who were definitely on the nice list and hoping to be rewarded accordingly.  {I'm not begging for sympathy here.  Just setting the stage...} It was at that point that we were faced with one of the most difficult dilemmas of our adult life.  We had Brent's final paycheck.  I had paid the bills that were most pressing and had about $800 left over, which was all we had to our name.  We knew we still needed to pay tithing on that paycheck.  Doing so would take more than half of what we had left, but we felt strongly about it so we turned in a check the following Sunday.  We prayed our hearts out and we were prepared for any possible outcome.  I mean, who were we to say that losing everything wasn't just the experience we needed right now?!  We didn't know, but we were ready to go with the flow, having faith in our Father in Heaven.

Our experiences the past few weeks have been nothing short of miraculous.  I get a little teary-eyed just thinking about it.  The very next day I started getting orders to make Christmas cards -- almost more than I could handle.  I doubled the lifetime sales in my etsy shop in two weeks.  Within a week cards started to come in the mail from extended family and friends with checks tucked in them.  Everyone said they just felt like they needed to help us out.  We were able to pay our mortgage and the rest of our bills.  A large box of gifts and some cash were mysteriously left on our doorstep.  {Thanks to whoever left it!} We found unbelievable deals on the things our kids wanted for Christmas and had as good a holiday as ever.  We have money in our account to pay our mortgage again next week.  Truly the windows of heaven have been open the past several weeks and we have been blessed abundantly. 

We have discovered that we are far more comfortable being on the giving end of such kindness, but we are learning a tremendous lesson in humility.  We feel so very grateful for the friends and family who have helped us in so many ways and we pray that the Lord will repay your kindness a thousand times over.  I suppose that's why I needed to write this.  So that each of you who helped out will know what a difference you made to us.  We thank you for being instruments in the Lord's hands and being the answer to our prayers.

For more information on Mormons and tithing, click here.