Friday Thought$

Hello and happy Friday!

I hope you all are enjoying this gentle transition into autumn here in the Midwest. I know other parts of the country may be having different stories, but we are experiencing slightly warm days, cool nights and even some much needed rain. 

The farmers who are out in the fields may disagree with that last statement, but the rest of us can attest to the fact that our flora and fauna needed a good drink of real rain water. 

I have an odd thought I have been hashing around in my brain so I am sharing for whatever it is worth. Maybe as I type, some kind of lesson will pop up, but maybe I am just throwing it out there for you to think about with me. 

As we all know, I got to enroll in the ranks of those who carry a Medicare card in July this year. I have three cards now and every visit to every doctor involves me having to pull those out, and for a couple of visits, I have been told I will need to wait a minute while they check and see if I can be covered in their office. 

Apparently some plans and some doctors have agreed to disagree. 

It’s a new feeling and one I don’t care for and it makes me think about the hassles for people who don’t have insurance or whatever. 

But that is not my thought to share today. 

Instead, I am finding that some things that used to be covered are no longer covered and I can opt to pay out of pocket or forego. 

Which means I decide if it’s worth it to me or not, I guess. 

And when this has been brought up, I have thought how unfair. But then another thought popped in my head. 

Every five weeks, I go and have my hair cut. Every third or fourth visit, she puts some highlights in to help me retain the color that used to come naturally. 

I am not covered for this. 

I pay for it out of pocket. 

And I think nothing of it. 

I am not covered for concessions, restaurants nor the clothing I purchase. 

All are choices I make on how to spend our money. 

While I understand that medical care should be available to all of us, and yes, I do pay for the premiums for the government and the private company that offers me some back up coverage over Medicare, the point is that I sometimes view bills I have to pay as unfair. 

I believe it is called “entitlement”.

Someone owes me something. 

So I have been pondering a little bit about how I view the resources God has given us. 

I tend to think of them as mine or ours and not His. 

I get upset when I have to use them on things I don’t want to spend them on and think nothing of using them generously on things I do want to invest in. 

As my mind traveled on this rabbit trail, I was also remembering times I have been in church with people who roll their eyes or nod knowingly when the subject of money and tithing come up.

It is like they fully expected the greedy church to want to take people’s money. 

Sigh. 

Hopefully those who love and follow Christ have received the teaching about how our financial support of the church, local and global, is an act of worship and faith. 

Hopefully we know that all that we have has been given to us and to return a portion is a gift of grace from God to us. 

We tip people, we order things online, we pay shipping, we pay taxes, we buy tickets and pay the extra processing fees to go to a sports event or concert….because we see the benefit of the outlay of money for our personal gain. 

We donate to charities to support causes we believe in or people who are raising money for a cause they believe in. We throw coins in fountains and red buckets at the mall at Christmas. We buy popcorn from the boys scouts and mums from the baseball team. 

And we don’t ask questions or have a problem with any of those things. Well, except the service fees on those tickets that end up doubling the price, but that’s another story. 

Only tithing, giving back to God what is really His, is a blessed act of worship with our money. 

And yet, we sometimes struggle with and question the church’s teachings on this subject. 

Yes…I have been on quite the journey with my thoughts this week. I share only because I can’t not, and I pray that whatever God might be speaking to you. 

God bless you as we roll into the weekend. 

May we who have followed Christ and pledged to advance His Kingdom on earth be mindful of our hearts when it comes to supporting the local church and the Body of Christ around the world. 

 <3