My husband is my hero. I adore that man more than I can explain, even when he makes me mad.
What I want to share with you I have discussed with him. His response was something like: Not something I'm happy about, not really what I want everyone to know, but I want to be real.
My husband has had a really hard time with being generous. While I know it affects so much of the way God blesses us, I don't blame him. For so long a poverty mentality has haunted my husband. I am so grateful to see him moving past this, but it has been really difficult for him.
A recent event in the midst of all the craziness going on has brought this thing more to the surface. We went to a worship event at our previous church. It was a fundraiser for the band Wholehearted to go to the UK where they will be raising support for an organisation called Thebmalitsha that loves and looks after the disenfranchised in South Africa, particularly the Western Cape.
As we arrived I asked Emiel if he'd remembered money. He hadn't and rushed off to get some. (It was a bit of iron sharpening iron situation, if you know what I mean.) When he came back I asked to buy a raffle ticket, he sheepishly told he had only brought x amount. I was not impressed, but by the time we went through for worship our hearts were settled and we had an awesome time. At the end there was the opportunity to donate money via text message. So Emiel, did 5 times.
God moved in a mighty, mighty way at the worship event. He re-emphasized that the church as a whole is a family. And He gave me opportunity to speak in the lives of some people very dear to me and to have the boldness to speak into the lives where relationships had been damaged.
The next morning Emiel gave someone money.
A bit later that morning we were handed a cheque with ten times the amount Emiel had given out.
The reason I share this with you is not to point out my husband's weakness, but rather to just share with you that we are called to be generous.
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 (ESV)
I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you. You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich. 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 (The Message)
"Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all." Mark 12: 41-44 (The Message)
I have just seen God move so magnificently on our behalf and I want to offer that to the those around me.
I know its a bit jumbled.
My husband is my hero and I am so in awe of a God who would lovingly teach him in a way that lovingly teaches others.
Much love
Philippa
What I want to share with you I have discussed with him. His response was something like: Not something I'm happy about, not really what I want everyone to know, but I want to be real.
My husband has had a really hard time with being generous. While I know it affects so much of the way God blesses us, I don't blame him. For so long a poverty mentality has haunted my husband. I am so grateful to see him moving past this, but it has been really difficult for him.
A recent event in the midst of all the craziness going on has brought this thing more to the surface. We went to a worship event at our previous church. It was a fundraiser for the band Wholehearted to go to the UK where they will be raising support for an organisation called Thebmalitsha that loves and looks after the disenfranchised in South Africa, particularly the Western Cape.
As we arrived I asked Emiel if he'd remembered money. He hadn't and rushed off to get some. (It was a bit of iron sharpening iron situation, if you know what I mean.) When he came back I asked to buy a raffle ticket, he sheepishly told he had only brought x amount. I was not impressed, but by the time we went through for worship our hearts were settled and we had an awesome time. At the end there was the opportunity to donate money via text message. So Emiel, did 5 times.
God moved in a mighty, mighty way at the worship event. He re-emphasized that the church as a whole is a family. And He gave me opportunity to speak in the lives of some people very dear to me and to have the boldness to speak into the lives where relationships had been damaged.
The next morning Emiel gave someone money.
A bit later that morning we were handed a cheque with ten times the amount Emiel had given out.
The reason I share this with you is not to point out my husband's weakness, but rather to just share with you that we are called to be generous.
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 (ESV)
I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you. You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich. 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 (The Message)
"Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all." Mark 12: 41-44 (The Message)
The cheque we received is from someone very dear to my family. She is not church going, a believer, Christian, but she has always been generous and God has blessed her for it. This particular act of generosity is costly- she gave from what little she had.
I have just seen God move so magnificently on our behalf and I want to offer that to the those around me.
I know its a bit jumbled.
Much love
Philippa
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting, I really love hearing from you