A NOTE FROM PASTOR BOB
One of the most sacred stories of generosity I have ever witnessed was from a young couple in a church I pastored many years ago. Gwen and Brett left their high-paying jobs as engineers in Detroit working for the big car makers so Brett could pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a commercial jet pilot. When they moved to Florida, Gwen became a full-time homemaker raising their three children and Brett became a full-time student with Com-Air academy. They had no jobs, just dreams.
Our church community was brand new. We met in a movie theater for a couple years before we had a congregation large enough to build our first building. You could call it humble beginnings. When the dream of our new church home was pitched to the congregation, Gwen and Brett came forward and shared they had no income, only savings. Their heart for this new church was unmatched and they believed that God led them to Florida and that no matter what, God would take care of them. When they filled out their commitment card with their support for the church, they left a note at the bottom which read, “We have no income, only expenses. So, we will tithe our expenses and give that back to God.” No income, only expenses, and large ones with tuition, living costs and everything else they had. One might say, “That doesn’t make any sense. How can you give back to God’s work through the local church if you don’t have a job, you don’t have income? Gwen and Brett did just that and I was so touched to learn they became one of the largest donors of our new church. Why does someone do something so unorthodox as that? Because they loved God and they loved their church.
Gwen died recently of cancer…too young in life but rich beyond means because of her heart for God’s work and her love for her church. This is an expression of generosity I will never forget.
Pastor Bob
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