Post-It Note Downpayment

Sometimes I get kinda bummed out.
I'm a stay at home mom, which is fabulous, (did I really mean "fabulous"?) but sometimes I get antsy because I would like to be more involved in things. I have a desire to give of myself, to be apart of something.  This blog stems from that part of me- the ideas and the desires that I feel are very real, but my world can some days consist only of cleaning butts, wiping noses, and picking up the same toys for the fifteenth time.

Last year while I was still working, we started giving to Missions beyond our regular tithes.  I had a little post-it note to keep track, and on it I would record each payment.  A mere thirty dollars a month from me but it took care of one missionary family in the field for a month.  Last June I quit my job to be a full time mom and I wasn't sure how much wiggle room beyond paying our monthly bills we'd have, but I kept thinking about that missionary family.  None of our bills are even under $50, much less $30 a month!  Even when we had to tighten our belts a little and maybe I had to do without a little something here or there, I strove to make sure I had that little bit to give to them.  It's really not that big of a stretch if you try a little.

At the end of that first year, I pulled out my post-it note and showed my husband and the kids.  They weren't impressed with the paper, it was crinkly and had "mom writing" on it.  (Oh, hold back your enthusiasm, everyone please!)  They looked at it for about two minutes with nothing short of fake half interested amusement.  So, I started to tell them the story behind all those entries I'd scribbled down through the year.  (enter the "mom-knows-best voice" here)  Though I am the one that wrote out the checks, our whole family supported another family just like us.  Somewhere in the world this mom and dad not so much unlike us, along with their children, were able to live and reach other people who needed Jesus badly.  Our $30 out of each month's wages, an amount that you would easily pay for a new shirt or on a night at the movies or even could easily double or triple in going out to a nice restaurant, instead was entered as a down payment in the Kingdom of God by OUR FAMILY.
I could see my boys' eyes begin to light up as they realized the possibility of what we did together.  What did these missionaries accomplish with our support?  Did people get saved?  Did hungry children get fed?  Maybe our missionary family was in a country where Christianity is illegal, and they're handing out Bibles incognito and holding underground church services?  (Woo-hoo!  Score one for  THIS mom for making missionaries sound a bit like James Bond.)
I also explained some "God Economics" to them, that even though we are not physically "in the field" like these missionaries are, because we supported them any blessing they receive will also be ours because we prayed, believed, and supported the cause of Christ through them. 

Yeah, I get kinda upset sometimes because I can't do more for people.  But there are people who are in the direct position to be helping others, and if the only thing at the moment I can do is to give them some of my resources, it is better than nothing.  All the time I get calls from St. Jude Children's Hospital or the American Heart Association, or Cops for Kids or whatever.  These may be very valid charities, yes, but I highly doubt they are giving the direct assistance that a missionary in the field can give.  In fact, these associations hire full time staff at salaries I will never see and even call centers to make their calls for them, and honestly I'd rather not pay somebody's salary to call me and ask for money.  It is our duty as Christians to help the needy and those that need to hear the gospel and until those needs go away, supporting missionaries both monetarily and through my prayers will continue to be my charitable focus.

If you have never considered supporting a missionary, I would most highly recommend it, no matter the amount.  Giving through your local church is easy or if you don't have a home church, make sure you do your homework and that the missionary is genuine.  Seriously, you won't miss the money and the blessing outweighs any sacrifice to give.  When you stop and think about all the dumb stuff we waste our money on (coffee to go, fast food, or that bad haircut a month ago), it might be nice to know that SOMETHING was a good investment.