As I experience the terror and stress of my first support deadline hitting me fullforce, I am reminded of the sheer glory of the faithfulness of the Lord. This weekend, days- minutes– away from my deadline, phone calls, text messages, and emails flooded into my life- loved ones sharing their desire to support this new chapter of my life. It was, in a word, overwhelming.
As of this morning, however, I am still a couple hundred dollars below my deadline. My mobilizer is being a little bit wiggly with this deadline, either from compassion and understanding, or from sheer mercy. Either way, I've been praying and praying that support will come in, that the amount of money I need will just show up on my door step, easy as A-B-C.
But that's clearly not what God has in store for me. He, at this point in time, clearly has a plan that includes me blindly, completely, utterly having faith like a child in the Lord, pressing into Him and fully depending on Him for this support every single step of the way.
And that's okay.
Stressful. But okay.
So as I was praying this morning for deliverance and guidance, I felt a tugging on my heart:
How are YOU living sacrificially?
Wow. AM I living sacrificially? How can I ask people to support me financially if I am not making the same sacrifices?
And so I thought and I thought and I thought and I came up with a plan! It's a great one. This is my plan:
Glummy Monday = Monday FUNDday!
FUND Day!! Haha, how wonderful!
Every penny that I make at my job on Mondays from now until I leave in preparation for World Race will all go into my fund. I know that, as a server and yoga instructor, I make an incredibly low amount of money. I know that I basically live from pay check to pay check. But in today's economy, isn't that what most of us are doing anyway? Again- how can I ask people to be generous and sacrificial if I am not leading by example? If I am not sacrificing to the point of pain? I need to be following the example of the woman in Mark 12:44:
They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty,
put in everything–all she had to live on."
This is what God asks of us in reference to His work. I am willing to give of my life for His work, but am I willing to give of my finances? It sounds like that should be an easier leap to take, but honestly- for me- it's the more difficult "yes" to say.
But "yes" I do say. If I need to pick up an extra shift or two during the week to make up for my Monday Fund-day, I can do it. I can always pick up an extra shift at the end of the week to help pay a bill. But this is the sacrifice my Lord is asking me to make, and I am…finally…willing to make it. Here I am, living by example, and as I am encouraged to do in 2 Corinthians 8:11-12:
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched
by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there,
the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
