Great Tip

Christmas is here! It begins for our family tonight as we give our Gifts to Jesus. We will conclude our weekend with a family gathering for the exchange of gifts. I pray that even if you have had a difficult year you will find peace and love in the presence of Jesus during these Christmas celebrations.

Patrick and I have had dinner out every day this week! Whew! What a trip that was. We enjoy the blessing of tipping our servers all year long, but try to do a little extra during this busy and of course expensive time of year. It got me thinking about when I was a server. I enjoyed extra sometimes, but most times it was a flat ten percent of what the tab was. That was enough for me.

When God asked His people to give a tithe of what they had, it was also ten percent. The rich gave a tithe of their wealth and the poor gave out of their poverty. It is interesting that God, who came as a baby, to serve all people would only ask for a tip. Certainly He deserves more!

All we have belongs to Him!. We have so many possessions here in our great country. We have been given so much more through God's creation, His creating us in His own image, and then Him sacrificing Himself to release us from the eternal punishment of sin. I guess what I am trying to say, is that He should have 100% of all we are and all we have. But, He only asks for a tenth. Do we give a tenth of our money, time, ability, or do we skimp and just give Him what WE think we can afford?

Today as our family gives our gifts to Jesus, I hope we give what He has asked for and so much more. I want us to give Him our every day, our every high and every low, all we have and are and all we lack. He deserves it all. It is His love that gathers it all and then pours back to us more than we could ever dream!

Jesus, You gave Your all to me. You do not withhold any good gift from me. Your generosity makes me fall to my knees asking for Your forgiveness for not recognizing Your gift, not being willing to hand You everything. Thank You for teaching me that You need all of me but Your church only needs a part. I choose to give freely without obligation, without guilt for not having enough. It is in You, God, that I trust!