Manna from Heaven!!

My recruiter woke me up this morning a bit shy of 9 AM, telling me that the production company that I had temped for last week wanted me to return. I fumbled for a bit but then I turned it down. After I hung up, I was filled with doubt, yet when I said "no" I had peace. Hm. confusion. Basically, I wanted to devote today to full on RESUME RAGE!! Plaster my resume all over the streets, if you please. Hire me!! I was so confident yesterday that I would find a great job TODAY that I was jumping up and down C's apartment Oprah-style chanting, "I'm gonna find a job tomorrow!" (And he gave me the fist pump and shouted, "YEAH!")

Anyways, I decided not to mope about it. I wanted to invest in my future, not for the $70 I would receive. But then I thought, what about my tithe? God has always provided a tithe for me. My friend Laurie is right - He will not demand of you what you do not have to give. I decided I would give what I could, since I'm essentially living off savings right now anyway.

Lo and behold, I checked today's mail. What did you know, a check from Chase Manhattan Bank! Turns out I had a credit balanace on a card I never used and they were giving me back my refund. I screamed and my roommate and I got excited. Praise God. He provided something for me to give back to Him. Did I also tell you that two weeks ago when I had no money to tithe, I opened an old old journal and inside a traditional red Chinese lucky packet there was a $20? Crazy!! That Sunday, I was so content to put that $20 into the offering. God provided it for me.

Some of you may ask: why aren't you keeping that money for yourself? That's a good question. It is basically because I know that He won't leave me alone. I want to give something to Him, because he has given so much to me already! Everytime I think about him giving me something to give back to him, I think of the ram caught in the bushes that Abraham was able to use as a sacrifice in place of Isaac (that poor kid. "Hey Pops, where are we off to with that dagger of yours?").

Money is so powerful. I remember my friend Brian Ingkom and I sitting around one day and talking about how one day we hope we become filthy rich! There is SO much to do with that money!! I would start college scholarships. I would pay off my friends' student loans. I would provide a way for the poor to make a decent living. I would surprise people with gifts. That was one of the things I enjoyed about my paycheck was the ability to give. Sadly, I have enjoyed a huge portion of my life not tithing regularly. How much richer it would've been in my heart :).

I hope money never controls me. Controls my security, my fears, my life ! The other day, I found myself controlled, and I just let it go. I just decided to be generous. I offered a few friends some boba tea. It was so freeing, and we were all able to enjoy something that was so blissfully pleasant.

I just wanted to share that with you. You are blessed! Here's a photo to brighten your day. See, its good to wear a hat. Your mom was right.