Stewardship

Nope, it's not time to volunteer at church for child care during stewardship month. You know, that month when the pastor focuses his teaching on our tithe or giving back of what God's given us. The nursery is ALWAYS less populated that month.  Didn't you know?  Remember, I'm not an elementary teacher.  I'd rather walk without a flack jacket into a junior or senior high school to substitute teach than spend a day with first graders. BUT, I digress.  After thinking about priorities for a few days, I began moving onto the next thing, stewardship. I'd define that place in life (stewardship) as the stage in which we use all that we have been lent by a merciful ORCHESTRATOR with prayer and gratefulness.

I can think about this concept of stewardship because I've been without.  So, when I talk to my kids about living on hashbrowned potatoes for at least 3 years in graduate school, I meant that 10 pounds of potatoes carefully used along with the peels intact through a salad shooter and a tub of Iowa farm-produced lard was the protein, starch and fiber I had to sustain me.  Besides the point that God was really telling me that I wasn't supposed to be in that location doing that job/study in my life misses the issue that stewarding what we do have is essential.  Even when we aren't listening and obeying, we still must regain a place in life where we steward what we have according to how we've been directed.  That takes obedience.

I've been teaching so much about wars during the historical period from 1850 to WWI and the loss of life involved on epic proportions lends me to discuss stewardship of life as well.  We're getting closer to having a plan for college and thus building the high school curriculum that supports that plan.  Someone in my house mentioned going into the service of the nation. I'm wrapping my brain around a government who doesn't steward their people, natural resources or economy well, and I'm supposed to be all fine-and-dandy with them trying to flub up stewarding my kid.  But then again, so many of those who survived the Depression gave up their kids to the Second World War. They were great people who I've learned from, and so my children will learn too.  And, I will cover my kids in prayer, because "to whom much is given, much is expected."