times seven…

You attract what you give. Do you believe that?

 

Years ago when I lived in Peoria with Tim – before kids – we had the most interesting thing happen. It was a Sunday morning and we just left church. Tim asked what I had written the offertory check for and when I told him he cringed. I hate “the budget” and back then I did everything possible to ignore what was going on with money. Tim on the other hand knew we were having a temporary cash crunch as I was terrible about billing for the hours I was working.

 

Anyway, I told him not to worry. I had a check to pick up from one of my clients and we could pick it up that morning. When I arrived I gave my client my time sheets and she said that it was not correct. I wasn’t billing for time on the telephone or work that I had done at home. She wrote the check for what she thought she owed me. Later when Tim was making out the deposit slip he pointed out that the difference in the amount what exactly seven times what my offertory check had been.

 

So needless to say, ever since then I have believed in the fact that God will reward those who give. However, now I am in charge of “the budget” and I am so terrible about really keeping on track with “giving.” Since the kids started school I feel like we are have more trouble staying on track with spending as there is always something I am writing a check for. With Christmas, vacation, and birthday season upon me I am especially aware of this.

 

In the past few days, however I made a list of people that I wanted to do something nice for — people that had either done something for me or who were having a rough week. I told Tim I was going to do more than just think – “hey I ought to do something for so and so”, but instead follow through and do it. I made lasagna four lasagna dinners and the kids and I delivered them all. It was so fun to see the happy faces of my four recipients as they realized they would not have to make dinner that night – the fun was worth every bit of time and expense.

 

Last night when I was checking my e-mail I received a small job offer. It is something I can do from home and something I would really enjoy. I don’t know all the details yet, but I can’t help but put the two events together. This is especially true because I had such a sense of happy peace as I went through the evening – all the worry and frustration of making ends meet just vanished.

 

A couple months ago I went camping with some extended family. I was treated, by one of the friends who were with us, to a great explanation for why she had been successful at the casino that night in contrast to a cousin who was not. She said it was all in the power of positive thinking – she just knew she would win – so she did. We all had to giggle at her logic and most of admitted that while it seemed to have worked that night we would be hesitant to give it a try ourselves.

 

However, I think I am going to keep gambling in my own way. It seems pretty clear that there is a lesson here and I hate to be too stubborn to learn itJ.