Everyday Stewardship

RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS
Some weeks seem to move steadily downhill as soon as they start. Your boss hits you with some hard criticism. Driving around town seems to be a constant experience of getting cut off and tailgated. The waiter at the restaurant felt pretty sure that your burnt and dried out lunch was not his problem. The kids didn’t plan ahead once again and the entire science fair project is due: tomorrow!
Then an angel of God in the form of a friend, acquaintance, or stranger says one nice thing, does one good deed, or offers a small gift of kindness and suddenly the entire week changes. The power of good is always able to defeat the bad in our lives, but it is amazing that so much bad can be overcome by such a small amount of good—truly amazing.
Jesus told us that with a little faith, we could accomplish great things. The faith of a mustard seed can move mountains or uproot a tree from the earth and replant it in the sea. It does not take much to make a big difference in the world.
If we apply this understanding to stewardship, then we can see that small gifts of time, talent, or treasure can yield great harvests. Yes, we are called to offer all we have back to God and his people, but that does not change the fact that through small offerings of ourselves we can change the greater reality in the lives of many.
For many years, I had a tapestry hanging in my office with a quote from the Quaker theologian, Rufus Jones. He said, “I pin my hopes to quiet processes and small circles, in which vital and transforming events take place.” With our stewardship, we have the chance to transform the world around us, even when it seems like what we can offer is so very small at the time.
Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS