The Three T's

The fog was rolling over the Blue Ridge mountains, as the sun inched its way above the horizon. The crisp fall air nipped at Rick. A warm cup of coffee kept his hands from freezing. Sitting down on his porch swing, he pulled out his bible. 

Rick spent every morning reading a book out of the bible and re-reading his favorite verses…

““ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭27‬:‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

These verses have begun to change Rick's life. Little by little he feels the importance of them weaving their way into his habits. 

As he looks out viewing the valleys and peaks of the mountains surrounding his cozy cabin, he starts thinking. He is reminded of a couple years ago when he was struggling to put food on the table, after being injured and not being able to work. The shame was starting to climb its way from the depths of his subconscious mind. Before it overwhelms him he takes a deep breath and reminds himself of the lesson he learned from that experience.

-> It was the same cold fall weather and Rick had made the decision to do something he has always wanted to do but had always made excuses as to why he couldn't do it, he decided to go help out at Habitat For Humanity. As he got out of his truck, Rick felt his soul smiling. He had dreamed of helping build houses so everyone has a decent place to live. 

Rick spent the entire time snapping the pieces of flooring together. As the rooms began to have complete flooring he thanked God. Rick spent a couple minutes just thanking God, because even though Rick wasn't able to tithe like he wanted to, he was able to provide his time. Just like his friend had told him, if he can't tithe then put more effort into giving your time or using your talents to help the kingdom.

-> Rick was brought back to reality by the jolt of the swing dropping beneath him. After picking himself up, he went in and grabbed a hammer and some nails. He hammered the plate for the hook back up to the ceiling. The sound of the metal hitting metal echoing around him. He hung the swing back up and decided to just lean on the railing while enjoying the beautiful nature that surrounded him. 

He was so blessed and he always made sure to thank God for it. Reminding himself of the beauty of a house falling apart on him. He enjoyed the rustic atmosphere the house brought him. The view was really what had sold the house. A beautiful 360 degree view of the Blue Ridge mountains. 

Every morning as Rick woke up with the sunrise he never got used to the orange and yellow glow that reached across the entire landscape. As he was admiring the landscape his mind was brought back to a fond memory. 

-> Rick had always loved hard work. The satisfaction of giving something his all was exhilarating. He thrived every time he was able to push his limits and do more than what he was expected to do. This was his gift. His talent was his work ethic. 

Money didn't play a factor when it came to job searching. Rick's main goal was finding a job that needed help the most. He searched for small businesses or start up companies. One day while researching home builders on Google, he came across a company that was founded by two brothers. He was immediately drawn in by the words “family-owned business”. 

Those words meant two things to Rick. One being that it was a small company. Two was that it meant he might be able to help them scale their business. So he decided to call them up and see if they were hiring. Well it just so happened that they were! 

The job was simple enough, Rick was to be the project manager so that the owner could focus on being an owner and not do everything himself. It was the perfect job. Rick knew he would be able to use his talent to help these guys live a better life. 

-> The creaking of the front door opening brought Rick back from the happy memory. His beautiful wife had woken up and was joining him in their morning ritual. She had walked up to the railing, grabbed his hand, and focused her attention on the rising sun. 

Rick smiled and thanked God for the lessons he had learned, for the blessings he now gets to experience daily, and for the fact that now that Rick has become more financially stable he is able to tithe.