Bethlehem Lutheran Church

 by Judy Thompson,
 Stewardship Ministry Team

I write to you this morning from my little cabin in the woods. I am one of those Minnesotans who always dreamed of having a cabin and fulfilled that dream in a very modest way a couple of years ago.

When I drive up north I prefer taking smaller state roads with less traffic. As I drive, the tensions of the city fall away. Often simultaneously I begin to count my blessings. Although I’ve had intense heartache, I have much for which I am thankful. After going through the long familiar list of the gifts from God which I particularly appreciate (the whole wide world of nature), my thoughts turn to family and friends. How blessed I am. I am loved by God, and by family and friends. They support me and love me for who I am. The long drive to my cabin always seems shorter when I take the opportunity to praise God.

Another joy of driving through the lesser-traveled highways is seeing small communities with little businesses, libraries and churches. Churches up north often use their signboards for messages as well as service time announcements. One time I read: If God is your co-pilot, switch seats. Hmm. Pithy but thought provoking. This time the message at another church caught my eye: Do you give God what is right or what is left? What an interesting thought, which I mused over for several miles.

With all my blessings, do I give back to God what is ‘right?’ I strive towards tithing. But even counting my gifts to other charitable institutions, I know I fall short. I will continue to work on that. One way is to be faithful with my pledge even when I am out of town. I use the automatic contribution through Simply Giving. Although my bank deducts my contributions weekly, I subtract the monthly amount at the beginning of the month to be sure I have set aside the correct amount. I am still working on giving back to God what is “right,