While I should be studying for boards, I decided that this blog post took precedence (that is saying a LOT), and thought that I should write it before I forget about it, like I so often do.
In the church that I belong to, we have the opportunity to pay what is called "tithing". It is where we take 10% of our earnings and give it to the church. So let's say that I made 100 dollars this month (sadly, I no longer work at Texas Roadhouse, so that is no longer possible). I would take 10 dollars from that and give it to my church. It is a similar practice that can be found in the bible. In Genesis 28 verse 22, Jacob vowed unto God, "...and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth to thee." Here Jacob is recognizing that he receives everything from God, not on his own, and that he will "repay" God by giving him a tenth of what he would not have without Him.
Like I said, in the church that I belong to, we still hold true to this vow that Jacob made thousands of years ago. We believe that everything, yes, EVERYTHING, we have is because of our Heavenly Father. That bed you sleep on? He made it possible. That nice car you own? Where did you get that money? From the job you work so hard at, you say? How did you get that job? From working hard in college, you say? How did you get those straight A's? From having a great memory, you say? Who gave you that memory?.... You can see what I am getting at. Think about it. To me, it makes perfect sense, but to others it is hard to grasp that someone could care so much about you as to give you everything you've ever had... But someone does.
Amazing, isn't it? We can never repay our Heavenly Father for all that He does on our behalf. There's no way. This is the Father who sent His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to DIE for us. It is incredible. But we can, however, show Him our gratitude. By paying a full and honest tithe, or 10% of our earnings, to our Heavenly Father to go towards His purposes (sending help to places with natural disasters, sending students to amazing colleges for the fraction of what a normal college costs, sending young men and women on missions to spread His gospel that there is a Redeemer and we can be CLEAN again). Not only is this such a small thing that we can do to show our Father in Heaven that we love and appreciate Him, but He gives us something in return for it.
Hold the phone. You mean that by giving to our Father in Heaven a small fraction of what wouldn't be ours without Him, we get something ELSE from Him in RETURN? You heard (or rather read) me write. In Malachi 3:10, it states:
"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."
HOLD ON. Did that just say what I think it said? Oh, but it did... or rather, it does. That promise still holds true today. If we pay our tithing unto the Lord, not only will He know we are His true and faithful servants who understand that all we have is because of Him, He's decided to reward us with BLESSINGS. And from the sound of it... it's not just a little pat on the back. "There shall not be enough room to receive it". Guys, this is huge... literally HUGE. I don't know about you, but I could fit a whole lot more into my small apartment. And here this verse is saying, "Oh no Carlie, you won't even be able to FIT it in your apartment!"
Okay so maybe they mean it more figuratively, but still, it's insane to think about.
So why this blog filled with run-on sentences and improper grammar? Because, friends, I have been on the receiving end of this promise not once, not twice, but many times, and if you pay your tithing I can ASSURE you, that even if you have not noticed, you have too. He's just that good.
As far as being in good health, I drew the short end of the stick. You know what that means? My husband drew the short end of the stick, too. Just kidding. But in all seriousness, we have had more hospital bills to deal with than most couples at our age. In the past two years, I have been to the ER on each 4th of July, and admitted once in November for 3 days. You know that pit in yours stomach you get when you see an envelope with your most recent phone bill where you KNOW you went over on minutes? That is the feeling we get every time we walk to the mail box. Because more often than not, there is some type of bill waiting for us, or an insurance notification letting us know that, once again, something was not covered for unknown reasons. The number of times I have apologized to my sweet, sweet, husband for being a medical mystery can truly not be counted. Of course, each time, he tells me to stop apologizing like a good husband does to make his medical mystery of a wife feel better. But let's be honest, we would all be lying to ourselves if we said we did not mind the piles of hospital bills that are in line to pay off, hiding in that junk drawer (what?) in our kitchen. Who wants that? No one, I swear. I could prove it, if you'd like.
But today, when I looked at a dreaded hospital bill that was not covered by insurance because the hospital provided me with a doctor who my insurance didn't cover whilst in the emergency room, I decided I needed to make a payment. So I called up the hospital to let them know they did not need to send the bill to collections, I just needed to set up a payment plan. The first question they asked is "what is your current job?" The dental hygienist that was recently refined in my Professionalism class made me want to scream back "are you even allowed to ASK me that question!?" But alas, I bit my tongue. "I am a student" I replied with the kind of sadness in my voice that makes people pity your existence. I recently was unable to return to Texas Roadhouse after taking a break to study for boards, so this had been kind of a pride issue lately, as I have not been able to bring in any money to my small family of 2.
The reply, however, was not one of pity, it was one of excitement. "That's perfect, since you are a student I can give you a discount!" At that very moment, my mind flooded with my husband's voice telling me a few weeks ago, "We will be fine, honey. We pay our tithing. Heavenly Father will watch over us and help us make it work." I cannot stress the emotions that overtook me at that time. It was like Heavenly Father tapped on my shoulder saying "I'm still here, Carlie. I have not forgotten you. I know you have been worried, but I am still here waiting to bless you whenever I can." I was completely overcome with happiness, relief, and gratitude. It's not that our bill vanished. Not even cut in half. But my burden was made light because Heavenly Father blessed me. Some will say "that is just luck, anyone could get that discount", but when you are receptive to the spirit, I swear you just KNOW that things happen for a reason.
I know that not everyone has those "AHA!" stories about paying tithing, or at least they think they don't. We are lucky enough to recognize these blessings quite frequently in our life, my husband and I. Like when we find an unexpected twenty dollar bill in jeans that we haven't worn in a long time, or when we are struggling and get a phone call from Bryce's father saying he just deposited a little money in our account when we did not even ask. Blessings that are poured out from Heaven, because He knows us, and knows our needs.
I am lucky enough to have a strong testimony of tithing. I will pay tithing before rent even if it gets us evicted, because I know that He is more important and has done more for me than anyone ever could. I owe EVERYTHING to my Heavenly Father. I owe EVERYTHING to my Savior who is my example and brother and Redeemer. Yet so little is asked of me by them. It still astounds me. I do not think I will ever truly grasp the love that they have for me, all I know is that I will do my best to do what I can to show them I am eternally grateful. If that means sacrificing 10% of my earnings and giving them to the church who will do more good with it than I ever could, I will.
This is not to make anyone feel guilty about not paying tithing, but rather to share a personal story of the goodness that paying tithing has brought into my life. If you do not pay tithing, it is never too late to start. I promise that it can only bring happiness and wonderful blessings. After all, the very act of giving unto the Lord has shown to be a wonderful feeling that overpowers any possible feeling of it meaning a loss.
