Time

You know, I’ve always tithed. For as long as I can remember I’ve done it. I can tell you story after story of how God has done amazing things with what I have left. But, over recent years I’ve also been learning more and more about the extent of the tithe. In the Old Testament, it definitely appeared to be much more economical. But, there wasn’t quite the personal relationship with God that we as Christians enjoy now. The New Testament talks a lot about giving of our entire lives, and I think the Lord is showing me more and more areas of my life that require that concept of tithing in one way or the other.

I’ve heard all my life the idea that tithing includes giving of our time. I’ve always thought that giving of my time meant service to others – usually at church or in the community – in one way or another. But, over the past couple of weeks God has shown me how intimate giving of my time can be!

When Olivia started first grade I was still working at Mother’s Day Out. I really wanted to continue working, and she wanted to go to After-KG care with some of her younger friends. So, I decided to work a day and a half. We’d go to MDO all day on Monday. Olivia would find a spot and do school work all morning while I worked, then she’d go to After-Care after lunch. We’d do school at home Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Thursdays we’d drop Angela and Steven off at MDO, have some school time with just the two of us, and then head to MDO ourselves after lunch. We both greatly enjoyed our “Mommy and Livie” time, but Olivia also greatly looked forward to the summer. In the summer, MDO has a school-age program called Summer Safari. This would be Olivia’s third summer to attend, and she was so excited.

Summer Safari began with a bang, and Olivia was enjoying it. But, she didn’t seem to enjoy it quite as much as we’d all expected. Olivia does everything with great exuberance. Where someone else will just be glad about something, she will be ecstatic. Her excitement about Summer Safari was on the “normal” level – not her typical exuberant level. One day I began to pry, just to see if she was having a problem. She assured me that she loved Summer Safari but she really missed our “Mommy & Livie” time. So I made a commitment to her. I told her that as soon as Summer Safari was over, I would be sure to establish a time every day that was just for the two of us – and another time for just Angie and me. She was content with that and settled in to Summer Safari with something to look forward to.

Then we found out we were going to move. That meant leaving Summer Safari halfway through, which I thought would upset her greatly. It didn’t. She was excited about the move, the new home, the new church. She considered leaving Summer Safari a sacrifice worth making. We made the move and began to settle into a routine. After several weeks of unpacking and settling in, I realized that it was time to make our new schedule. It’s just something I have to have to survive. So, I sat down to create the schedule and organize our homeschool curriculum and routine for the new year. It was amazing to me how quickly I was filling the time! I’d gone from being home for homeschool three mornings a week with a couple of extra hours on Thursday to being home five days a week. I’d doubled my amount of available housework time. Plus, Olivia and Angela were becoming much more capable of helping with certain aspects of housework. Yet somehow the time seemed to just disappear as I created the schedule!

I completed the schedule and we started our first week of using it. It seemed to go well, but there was still a nagging that something wasn’t right. The kids weren’t thriving like they usually do when we get back into our routine. They were still fighting and disobeying. The housework was getting done, but the home was not at peace. I began to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom. Never doubt – when you ask, you will receive, but it might not always be the answer you want!

“Lord, what can I do to help the kids? Especially Olivia, Lord! Her heart is bent on disobedience! How can I help her? How can I teach her? Nothing seems to be working right!”

They need time with you.

“Lord, they have time with me every morning. I homeschool, don’t I? I am with them and focused on them alone all morning! I spend individual time with each of them! What more would they need?”

Think about the individual time and how it’s spent.

“Well, I do math with Olivia, which is sometimes a battle, and I go over her language arts lesson. Then I teach Angela reading, which is tough for her right now.” The light came on. I started thinking about the individual time I was giving them, and I realized that it was only during their most stressful subjects. Ouch! Then the big thought hit me – the one I’d forgotten…

What did you promise Olivia?

I knew immediately – I’d promised her special time with just her. Not doing math or language arts – just being with her. I began to argue with God about how in the world I’d fit it all in. I mean, my schedule was packed! How could I take out an extra hour every day?

That’s when the Lord reminded me of the tithe. Yep, tithe. All of this time is Mine, not yours. I’ve given it to you to do My will, not yours. You prayed that I would help you with the schedule. I did. But now things are still not going 100% right. So, I’m showing you what’s not quite right. You trust Me with your finances. Why don’t you trust Me with your time in the same way?

Ouch again! So, I prayed again, “Lord, help me redo the schedule. Show me what can go and what can move and where it can be put. Help me let go.” And He did. It just took rearranging things, and I really only took out one thing – I’m sweeping my living room four days a week instead of five. Think maybe the floors can handle it?

We dove in to the new schedule this week. It was frustrating at first. I’d just gotten used to the schedule I’d started the week before, and now I was starting all over again. But, we stuck to it. You know what? I’m about to go on a Candyland strike after losing seven games out of eleven, all but one of those to Angela. Olivia became quite the strategist at Sorry. We’ve planned several Christmas presents that we hope to start accumulating materials for to make over the next few months. But most of all, we’ve had fun. The discipline issues have decreased. And, strangely enough, the chores are being accomplished even more smoothly this week than last. Why? Tithe. Yes, an agreement to give God my time first by giving it to my girls. Before the chores. Before my personal time. It was my tithe. And God is honoring and blessing.