Stewardship of This One Life
I have been immersed in what Christians call “stewardship” for the last several weeks. Being a leader of a congregation that relies on member giving to fund ministry, I have been thinking about generosity and its origin. I have been inviting people to make a financial pledge for ministry for next year- despite all that remains unknown about how we will gather and be community in the year ahead due to the pandemic.
When our backyard apricot tree in Chino, California produced about 10 times as much fruit as we could eat or turn into jam, my mom and I took Stater Bros. bags full of fruit to every doorstep around. We handed bags of fruit to friends at church, and to strangers who were lucky enough to cross our apricot-laden path. When our neighbor had more zucchini than he could consume, zucchini appeared at our house. We might come home to persimmon, kumquats, tamales, or plums on our doormat. Sharing an abundance of food seems so natural.
Sharing from our checkbook seems less natural. It is so disconnected from our lived experience that it takes on a different meaning than passing someone a few tamales. Because the bank account does not rot and stink and attract fruit flies after several days on the kitchen counter, we do not have the same urge to move it along to someone who will enjoy it while it is enjoyable. And yet, we are called to be generous. To share from our resources for the good of the world around us. Our community flourishes when we share our apricots and tamales - not only because food sustains us- also because it delights us, it binds us together.
We flourish when our actions match our values - when we give as we believe we are called to give.
When those running for office make public their taxes (or refuse to), we get a glimpse of how they share their resources for the flourishing of the community, for the support of people in need and causes that will create a more just and peaceful society. We observe actions that express their values. It seems unfair to comment on their values, actions (especially giving patterns) without first examining my own. What is stewardship and generous giving really about for me?
An examination of my own understanding of stewardship & actions
It goes something like this:
I have one life. (Unless the next adventure is reincarnation, which would be fine by me. Since that is out of my control, I will focus on this one life I do know I have on this beautiful planet.)
I want to maximize this one one life and live it fully.
That means living a long time in a healthy body,
with a healthy mind,
and a soul centered in the peace and goodness of the One who created the universe.
That means being connected in healthy ways with
my family and friends
through rich interactions that range from picnics to texting to vacations to special life events to being a super-peon.
(The first time I hosted Thanksgiving Dinner, I was feeling overwhelmed between the meal and serving of pumpkin pie. I was in the kitchen scrambling to organize things, and my sister-in-law Suzy waltzed in and presented herself saying, “I’m your super-peon, what can I do?” Physical assistance is a great way-not the only way- to say “I love you.”)
That means being connected to good work in the world-
work that I do, and work that I cannot do yet can support through financial giving and prayer and encouragement.
That means carving out time each day for exercise, which is also sometimes my prayer time.
That means eating well, and not after 8 pm, and not too much in general.
That means drinking wine or beer for some social events to celebrate life and its goodness, rather than using alcohol to cope or numb or avoid.
That means reading and having conversations that stretch my mind,
draw me into new ideas and ways of looking at the world,
constantly expanding to connect more deeply with God, my own experiences, and other peoples’ experiences.
That means avoiding television news programs that lack dignity, coherence, and respect.
That means clarifying my role so that I appropriately invest where I am called to invest,
and divest from where I am called to divest.
That means traveling —to grow, open my heart and mind, and explore a variety of cultures/perspectives.
That means contributing 10% of my salary to an organization that I know is operated by a group of faithful community leaders seeking to flourish in faith, to serve others in need, to serve Christ.
That means sponsoring a 12 year old student’s education at El Hogar de Amor y Esperanza in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The longer she stays in school, the more she will be able to steward her life with the type of agency every person deserves. The longer she stays in school, the more likely she will be to beat the odds of early pregnancy and become a mother when she is ready to support a family. The longer she stays in school, the more skills and expertise and confidence she will develop to lead in her community.
That means having a compost pail and a “happy chicken bowl” next to the kitchen sink, where coffee grinds, egg shells and unwanted bits of food stay out of the landfill and stay in a green cycle of : table —> compost/chickens —> garden soil —> table again.
That means learning how to make our home run in a more earth-conscious way, shopping at thrift stores, and being mindful of the ways and amounts we consume. We have old countertops and bathrooms. They still work fine, and our quality of life is good despite white formica and outdated bathroom cabinets.
That means taking time away from home and work to help a vulnerable friend when they need a ride to the doctor, help getting groceries, or to vote.
Stewardship is the act of ordering one’s life to maximize it.
Giving and receiving love, sharing resources to contribute to the causes and people and work I value most.
Thoughtfully ordering an hour, a day, a lifetime to utilize time and talents and money so that God is glorified, while also thoughtfully ordering these same things to maximize the well being of myself and my family. A balancing act indeed!
Where I want to grow:
We began working with a financial planner this year as we prepare for our oldest child to go to college, with his sister 3 years behind him. We want to create the right legacy for our children. We want to use the resources we have, after we have first given a percentage to our faith community and El Hogar for God’s work in our community and world, to shore them up for a life where they have room to serve other people, rather that chase a big salary. These kids have such gifts to share with the world, and I believe that God will call them to offer their gifts for the good of society in some way. Maybe through public service, research, leadership in the community, or philanthropy. God only knows at this point!
Dave and I want to harness our financial resources so that our children will have a more manageable amount of educational debt after college/graduate school than we did. (I paid off my $42,000 loans from Whittier College and the University of Rhode Island in my early 40s.) We want them to know they can take the right risks in life to explore, innovate, and serve others.
To do this, we are more focused on saving and than spending. At some level, COVID-19 has limited our travel and spending options and allowed us to save more for college. I miss seeing family and friends, and I miss going to see shows at the Hippodrome, and I’m totally jonesing for a trip to some wonderful new place — yet, it’s nice to be putting a bit more away than usual.
I grew up with limited resources and a hard-working single mom who could make something beautiful out of scraps. I have had to learn how to give and receive from a more middle class position as an adult. I have learned in my adult years to ask for a raise, to plan for retirement starting in my twenties (thank you for guiding me, Ron Moll!), to be strategic about spending so we do not end up with credit card debt, to devote time to clearly communicating around money and future plans with my spouse. Some of these lessons have been harder and more painful to learn than others.
I want to keep learning how to order the time, talents and resources God has given to me. I want to maximize what I share of my earnings so that lives are transformed, so that communities are stronger and more united, so that this world grows more just, more humane, more livable, more healthy.
I hope to become more financially generous as I grow older.
I hope to wisely discern the best ways to give so that lives are transformed, and stability emerges, and people can truly flourish.
I hope to be more generous of spirit along the way, aging into a soft, kind, loving presence that understands rather than judges harshly, that forgives rather than holds grudges, that loves and listens and serves rather than bosses everyone around.
I hope to stay this size, and to feel as well in my body as I do now.
I hope to lavish my time on my family and friends and to receive the gift of their time and presence in my own life.
