Learning to give prodigally

Image Credit:  http://wonkette.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/stacks-of-money.jpg

After college in the 70's, my parents found gainful employment as factory workers installing small wires in radios barely earning minimum wage.  Just months before, with nothing but their optimism and $200, they flew 11 hours on a plane from Korea to move to the U.S. and pursue the American dream.  Their road wasn't easy, but God blessed them not only financially, but brought them to Himself through this journey.  It is a testament to God's faithfulness and also to the amazing opportunities this country has to offer to those who truly work hard and hope for a better future.  The rest of this story is best saved for another time, but I would like to share about how their example has taught me to give prodigally.

After years of saving, they earned enough money to operate a small donut shop in a low-income area.  One day a Korean man came asking to purchase 20 dozen donuts.  My parents were thrilled at the big sale, but curious about why this man could possibly need that many donuts.  With the hope of making this a regular sale, they began to ask questions and learned that this man was a deacon at a nearby church, and he agreed to make this purchase regularly if my parents would come visit his church.  They did, and though they didn't believe in God, they found comfort in being surrounded by people who shared their heritage, language, culture, food, and their struggle to succeed as immigrants in this country.  They continued attending the church and tithed 10% of their small income faithfully until they eventually came to saving faith several years later for my father, and many more years after that for my mother.  After that time, they gave in even greater amounts to help finance the purchase of a church building, and invested time serving in the church's kitchen, and helping with the church's accounting.  I am thankful for the example they have set for me, that even in their poverty they were faithful to give to the work of God's church.

I am much better off financially then my parents were back then earning minimum wage, but yet I am still learning to give more and more still.  We begin our month by setting aside 10% of our income; we don't touch it and we treat it as if it is not ours, because we recognize that to be the very little that God asks of us each month.  We also support a missionary overseas regularly, are contributing toward the purchase of a building at our church, and aim to give at least one-time supports of any missionaries we know.  In addition to that, we are supporting my in-laws financially, which is not a very large sum, but significant for us to cut out things like preschool for my son this year and eating out very little.  Even then, I have so much more to learn.