Faith Story

KCheatle

KCheatle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Yesterday I'm sitting in church. My family is pretty good about attending church regularly, and just about each week I give about $40 in offering. But, yesterday, after I wrote the check for $40, I thought "Tomorrow I am planning to make a $1,250 payment towards my Disney trip. Should I really only be giving only $40 to God and $1,250 to Disney?" I couldn't get past this feeling that I shouldn't be prioritizing Disney over God. I tried to talk myself out of it by saying "No, you already booked this trip and the money needs to go towards that," or "That's just so much money!" And I sat there going back and forth for about 10 minutes before I finally reached over and ripped up the $40 check and started to write a check for $650, which would be my monthly tithe taking into consideration my tax return.

Later during the service, the minister was saying the prayers and said a prayer for someone to have it in their heart to give an offering to provide for the food for the meetings that would take place to support a massive building project our church is about to undertake. As I heard that I nudged my DH to show that clearly God was putting it on my heart, and I wrote in the memo of the check that I wanted the money to go for the food.

For a long time, I have considered Disney my "happy place." And, it is still a place that brings me and my family great joy. But, I have honestly not felt as genuinely happy and smiley as I did all day yesterday after giving that money to God in a very long time. At first I was worried about how I would make it up for the trip, but after I put it in the offering plate, I had this feeling of complete trust that God would provide the $650 back. And then out of nowhere this verse popped in my head:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

It's just crazy, because as I read that verse I thought: I tithed so that enough food would be provided for the church -- this is exactly what this verse is saying! And, now I KNOW that God will bless me in ways I couldn't even imagine :-)

I'm still a Disney lover, but I'm a God lover first. And I have no doubt that God will bless me and my family with enough to make this trip happen and more :-)

Just my faith story, and I'd love to report back with how it all turns out :-)
 
epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
KCheatle said:
Yesterday I'm sitting in church. My family is pretty good about attending church regularly, and just about each week I give about $40 in offering. But, yesterday, after I wrote the check for $40, I thought "Tomorrow I am planning to make a $1,250 payment towards my Disney trip. Should I really only be giving only $40 to God and $1,250 to Disney?" I couldn't get past this feeling that I shouldn't be prioritizing Disney over God. I tried to talk myself out of it by saying "No, you already booked this trip and the money needs to go towards that," or "That's just so much money!" And I sat there going back and forth for about 10 minutes before I finally reached over and ripped up the $40 check and started to write a check for $650, which would be my monthly tithe taking into consideration my tax return.

Later during the service, the minister was saying the prayers and said a prayer for someone to have it in their heart to give an offering to provide for the food for the meetings that would take place to support a massive building project our church is about to undertake. As I heard that I nudged my DH to show that clearly God was putting it on my heart, and I wrote in the memo of the check that I wanted the money to go for the food.

For a long time, I have considered Disney my "happy place." And, it is still a place that brings me and my family great joy. But, I have honestly not felt as genuinely happy and smiley as I did all day yesterday after giving that money to God in a very long time. At first I was worried about how I would make it up for the trip, but after I put it in the offering plate, I had this feeling of complete trust that God would provide the $650 back. And then out of nowhere this verse popped in my head:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

It's just crazy, because as I read that verse I thought: I tithed so that enough food would be provided for the church -- this is exactly what this verse is saying! And, now I KNOW that God will bless me in ways I couldn't even imagine :)

I'm still a Disney lover, but I'm a God lover first. And I have no doubt that God will bless me and my family with enough to make this trip happen and more :)

Just my faith story, and I'd love to report back with how it all turns out :)
Click to expand...

Thank you for sharing. May I share a something that happened to us at a church fund raiser this past Saturday night?
 
epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
I did not want to detract from your wonderful post, @KCheatle

OK, we go to a small rural church and we held a fundraiser Saturday evening. A soup and cornbread dinner and silent auction. People donated items to be auctioned off. Nothing really fancy, but some fun things. You walked around the room and wrote your bid number and bid amount on the items you were interested in.
There was a young teen girl who was very interested in one particular item, and I overheard her tell someone she was going to try to get it to give as a gift. I started coming behind her and upping her bid by .25 cents each time she saw someone had bid.
It turns out she had $10 and some change she had scooped out of the ashtray of her grandmother's car.
To shorten the story, I penciled in the winning bid just before the write in bids were stopped. She was so disappointed, she had a tear or two in her eyes, until I took it over to her and gave it to her, which was my plan all along.
Later, as the items were being paid for by the winners, she got in line to pay. Out of couriosity I watched and she whispered to the lady collecting payment, "I did not win any bids, but somebody bought what I wanted and already paid for it, so I want to donate what I would have spent. Sorry, but this is all I have."
I know that is what she said because my wife was taking up the payments.
Then, she had happy tears and so did we.
 
KCheatle

KCheatle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
epcotisbest said:
I did not want to detract from your wonderful post, @KCheatle

OK, we go to a small rural church and we held a fundraiser Saturday evening. A soup and cornbread dinner and silent auction. People donated items to be auctioned off. Nothing really fancy, but some fun things. You walked around the room and wrote your bid number and bid amount on the items you were interested in.
There was a young teen girl who was very interested in one particular item, and I overheard her tell someone she was going to try to get it to give as a gift. I started coming behind her and upping her bid by .25 cents each time she saw someone had bid.
It turns out she had $10 and some change she had scooped out of the ashtray of her grandmother's car.
To shorten the story, I penciled in the winning bid just before the write in bids were stopped. She was so disappointed, she had a tear or two in her eyes, until I took it over to her and gave it to her, which was my plan all along.
Later, as the items were being paid for by the winners, she got in line to pay. Out of couriosity I watched and she whispered to the lady collecting payment, "I did not win any bids, but somebody bought what I wanted and already paid for it, so I want to donate what I would have spent. Sorry, but this is all I have."
I know that is what she said because my wife was taking up the payments.
Then, she had happy tears and so did we.
Click to expand...

That's a fantastic story! Thanks for sharing!
 
Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
I believe that God blesses us as we bless others, and that all we give to God (that is, all we give to others out of the love He commanded us to have for one another) returns to us in equal or greater measure.

Those who don't believe in God would still do well to follow the words of Jiminy Cricket, and "always let your conscience be your guide," especially when your conscience tells you that sometimes there is a higher and better use for your money than giving it to Disney. :)
 
epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Weather_Lady said:
I believe that God blesses us as we bless others, and that all we give to God (that is, all we give to others out of the love He commanded us to have for one another) returns to us in equal or greater measure.

Those who don't believe in God would still do well to follow the words of Jiminy Cricket, and "always let your conscience be your guide," especially when your conscience tells you that sometimes there is a higher and better use for your money than giving it to Disney. :)
Click to expand...
That is so true.
 
crispy

crispy

Well-Known Member
epcotisbest said:
I did not want to detract from your wonderful post, @KCheatle

OK, we go to a small rural church and we held a fundraiser Saturday evening. A soup and cornbread dinner and silent auction. People donated items to be auctioned off. Nothing really fancy, but some fun things. You walked around the room and wrote your bid number and bid amount on the items you were interested in.
There was a young teen girl who was very interested in one particular item, and I overheard her tell someone she was going to try to get it to give as a gift. I started coming behind her and upping her bid by .25 cents each time she saw someone had bid.
It turns out she had $10 and some change she had scooped out of the ashtray of her grandmother's car.
To shorten the story, I penciled in the winning bid just before the write in bids were stopped. She was so disappointed, she had a tear or two in her eyes, until I took it over to her and gave it to her, which was my plan all along.
Later, as the items were being paid for by the winners, she got in line to pay. Out of couriosity I watched and she whispered to the lady collecting payment, "I did not win any bids, but somebody bought what I wanted and already paid for it, so I want to donate what I would have spent. Sorry, but this is all I have."
I know that is what she said because my wife was taking up the payments.
Then, she had happy tears and so did we.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tears this morning. I needed to read that this morning.
 
epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
KCheatle said:
Yesterday I'm sitting in church. My family is pretty good about attending church regularly, and just about each week I give about $40 in offering. But, yesterday, after I wrote the check for $40, I thought "Tomorrow I am planning to make a $1,250 payment towards my Disney trip. Should I really only be giving only $40 to God and $1,250 to Disney?" I couldn't get past this feeling that I shouldn't be prioritizing Disney over God. I tried to talk myself out of it by saying "No, you already booked this trip and the money needs to go towards that," or "That's just so much money!" And I sat there going back and forth for about 10 minutes before I finally reached over and ripped up the $40 check and started to write a check for $650, which would be my monthly tithe taking into consideration my tax return.

Later during the service, the minister was saying the prayers and said a prayer for someone to have it in their heart to give an offering to provide for the food for the meetings that would take place to support a massive building project our church is about to undertake. As I heard that I nudged my DH to show that clearly God was putting it on my heart, and I wrote in the memo of the check that I wanted the money to go for the food.

For a long time, I have considered Disney my "happy place." And, it is still a place that brings me and my family great joy. But, I have honestly not felt as genuinely happy and smiley as I did all day yesterday after giving that money to God in a very long time. At first I was worried about how I would make it up for the trip, but after I put it in the offering plate, I had this feeling of complete trust that God would provide the $650 back. And then out of nowhere this verse popped in my head:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

It's just crazy, because as I read that verse I thought: I tithed so that enough food would be provided for the church -- this is exactly what this verse is saying! And, now I KNOW that God will bless me in ways I couldn't even imagine :)

I'm still a Disney lover, but I'm a God lover first. And I have no doubt that God will bless me and my family with enough to make this trip happen and more :)

Just my faith story, and I'd love to report back with how it all turns out :)
Click to expand...

Looking forward to hearing more. I'm sure it will turn out great. Thank you for the inspirational start to my day. It is rainy and cold this morning, yet somehow feels sunny!
 
Allym146

Allym146

Well-Known Member
Great stories, I need to keep that in mind, sometimes my financial priorities get out of whack.

Since the mods here have a stick up their butt, anyone have a faith strengthening moment at WDW??
 
epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
wdwmagic said:
Care to elaborate on that comment?
Click to expand...
I will. One of the most uplifting and inspirational threads ever on these boards and it gets moderated. By the way, the item in my story was a Disney souvenir I donated and I suppose that would have kept things on topic, but I simply did not feel it added anything to the story. I know religion and politics are touchy subjects. Sometimes we need a little uplifting in our lives. Would you consider moving this to chit chat?
 
Allym146

Allym146

Well-Known Member
Sorry, I admittedly have issues with rules and authority figures;) @wdwmagic . I guess I just don't get why some threads are jumped on right away for not being "general discussion about WDW parks" but there's a 46 pager on disney memes.

Someone even complained about keeping on topic for fear of clutter on the board the other day. With what, 6 new threads a day?? I don't think clutter is a legitimate concern lol.

I guess I'm just not as super serious about it as others.
 
wdwmagic

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
epcotisbest said:
I will. One of the most uplifting and inspirational threads ever on these boards and it gets moderated. By the way, the item in my story was a Disney souvenir I donated and I suppose that would have kept things on topic, but I simply did not feel it added anything to the story. I know religion and politics are touchy subjects. Sometimes we need a little uplifting in our lives. Would you consider moving this to chit chat?
Click to expand...
There was no moderation - just a reminder that it is a Disney discussion board, and content should be on that subject.

I have moved it to chit chat.
 
wdwmagic

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Allym146 said:
Sorry, I admittedly have issues with rules and authority figures;) @wdwmagic . I guess I just don't get why some threads are jumped on right away for not being "general discussion about WDW parks" but there's a 46 pager on disney memes.

Someone even complained about keeping on topic for fear of clutter on the board the other day. With what, 6 new threads a day?? I don't think clutter is a legitimate concern lol.

I guess I'm just not as super serious about it as others.
Click to expand...
We do quite a bit more than 6 new threads a day :)

Moderation is very important. Without it the forum becomes full of off-topic, arguments, and general junk. Unfortunately it is a thankless task. I don't think we would have survived over 15 years and nearly 6 million posts without it.
 
JenniferS

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
wdwmagic said:
There was no moderation - just a reminder that it is a Disney discussion board, and content should be on that subject.

I have moved it to chit chat.
Click to expand...
Chit Chat is the perfect place for this discussion.

Welcome to Chit Chat, folks, where anything goes, INCLUDING religion and politics.

Thank you @KCheatle, @epcotisbest, and @Weather_Lady for your inspirational stories. We need to remind ourselves and others that Our God Reigns.

Hope you all stay for a while. Check out the "Where in the World is Bob Saget" thread, where a bunch of us share, kvetch, laugh, cry, and are generally silly 24 hours a day. Very little, if any, moderating, either.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom