My dad worked for a home building company that moved their management frequently. Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Georgia. I lived in all these states before I was twelve. Five different elementary schools and two different high schools when it was all said and done. It was that last move as a family though that made a huge difference in my life.

As we were unloading the moving truck a neighbor boy came up to me and asked “What’s your name?” “Help me unload this truck and I will tell you,” I said. So Donnie jumped right in and helped.

Donnie and I became good friends. One day his mom asked if my three other siblings and I would like to to go to church with them. My folks said yes and off we went. And the next Sunday and the next and then Wednesday nights. Soon my folks started taking us and then going with us. Then one Easter Sunday, my whole family was baptized into Christ! All because Donnie and his mother were personally generous with their time and passion for Jesus.

My folks became involved with the youth group, serving as youth sponsors and going on youth trips. Dad was selected as a deacon and life was going great! 

Then dad came home and said the words we hadn’t heard in a while… “We’re moving.”

After much prayer, he wanted to go to school to be a pastor. He warned us that finances were uncertain. We didn’t have the money for school and no place to live, but God said “Go,” so we were going. 

Our church leadership met and committed to paying dad’s tuition for ALL four years of college. We went to an open house at the university and when a professor asked dad what he was doing there, dad told him his story. The professor hired him on the spot as his youth pastor; no resume, no previous ministry experience, no formal education. And the position came with a parsonage and a small weekly salary! We were blessed with financial generosity by our church family and a complete stranger.

Moving day came and the men of our church prayed over us. One of the older guys shook dad’s hand, slipped him some money that dad put in his pocket, gave us a hug, and we left.

In Ashland, Kentucky we were met by folks we didn’t know who helped unload our truck into a house we had never seen. Then ladies we had never met brought supper to a family they were meeting for the first time. 

When we dropped of the moving truck, the clerk told dad the total for the rental would be $99.50. My dad reached into his pocket and pulled out a $100 dollar bill.

Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Bottom line- you CANNOT out give God. But you CAN be generous with what He gives. Please be obedient with ALL the gifts that God has given you.

And Donnie, please tell your mom I said thanks.