for a long time, i've been contemplating the whole Biblical concept of gleanings. God's people were told not to harvest all the way to the corners and edges of their fields, but to allow the needy among them to come and take what they needed. a while back when our small group did the truth project, we encouraged each other to figure out our own gleanings based on our profession; for example, a doctor could offer free medical advice or an accountant could help others with their taxes. i never did make a plan and get to it at that time. but now our church just finished a short series on generosity, which has made me think more about it. and sunday, it came to me. i have decided that every time i go to the grocery store, i will buy one extra of something and donate it to a local food ministry. simple, easy, and cheap, and yet in this way i can hopefully provide for others for whom a can of beans or a box of pasta is a lot harder to afford. so i started today, and i can't wait to see what God can do through me!
cody and i also decided to take our church's 1% challenge, which is basically to give the church just 1% more than you did last year. it could be your first 1%, or maybe a step closer to tithing the full 10%, or maybe even above and beyond. one of the ways God has gifted me is with a giving heart, so tithing has never been a problem for me, but i was really excited when Cody was the one to suggest participating in this challenge and upping our giving to 11% (ladies, isn't it exciting when your husband fulfills his role as your family's spiritual leader, especially when it means he's doing something he's uncomfortable with?!)! the same day we committed to this, we finished figuring out our taxes, and we can already see God rewarding us- the refund we're set to receive is much more than we expected! so now it's up to you: are you willing to trust God and "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." (Malachi 3:10)?
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