Paying It Forward...Wholeheartedly

When Scott and I decided to go into business for ourselves, I had visions of being in better shape financially than we’ve ever been. We had some money in the bank, and had even made some financial commitments just to help others out; I wanted to continue giving, but at the same time, live comfortably and completely debt-free. Scott kept saying, “I’m not looking to get rich, here; I just want to make enough to provide for my family.” I kept thinking, “Why not? When you work for someone else, your earning potential is limited by someone else. We are limited only by how hard we choose to work. Let’s work!” The more Scott and I talked about it, the more we prayed about it, the more my vision improved. My prayer became, “Lord, help us to make enough that we can continue to help others.”

The weeks began to pass, and the jobs didn’t come. Our savings dwindled more and more each day. “But I prayed for the right things,” I thought. “Yes, but was your heart truly in the right place?” came the reply.

As Scott arrived home after giving yet another estimate, he awakened me to tell me about his experience. In the morning when my head was a little less foggy, our conversation came back to me: His concern for his customer’s safety in the situation. His recommendation to include some extra work just to be sure the job is done correctly. His willingness to take a hit on labor just to “help them out.” I was once again, overwhelmed by Scott’s heart for others. This was his way of helping others. He was happy to be giving of himself to make sure those who didn’t have the time or the talent could have what he considers the basic necessities. The tide had shifted. In our season of financial plenty, we wrote checks. In our season of labor, we give our time, our talent – we give of ourselves to make sure the message of Christ’s love spreads to others.