We surrender our heart, soul -- then wallet

I have been thinking a lot about conversion experiences lately.  Some people seem to be able to pinpoint some day -- or even hour or minute -- in their life when they had this "aha moment" concerning their faith.  Amazing grace even captures it in verse, "the hour I first believed."

But for many of us it is more of an unfolding over many days and years and with many small aha moments.   I actually worry that those who experience the big "aha moment" will think somehow they have arrived.  Life doesn't work like that and neither does our faith journey.  We are called our whole lives to draw closer to God and to draw closer to the person that God is calling us to be. 

Luther said that the hardest conversion is the pocketbook.  So what I have really been thinking about this week is how that happens.  Does it happen all at once?  Can anyone name the hour or the day that she first gave her pocketbook to God, the way she can name the day she gave her heart?  Because if Jesus words, "Where your treasure is there will your heart be also, "  are true -- and I trust that they are, then our hearts aren't full with God until our finances line up with that faith that we claim.

Probably this conversion also comes in little moments of awareness, little acts of generosity, an increasing awareness of the blessing of giving, because of the blessings we have been given.

Our whole lives are an unfolding in so many ways and learning to be giving and generous is a life long lesson that we never arrive at the fullness of until Jesus comes.  When you think you have arrived, it is probably time to look again, pray again, discern anew what new thing God might be asking you to give.

Lord,  Open our hearts and our thoughts and our pocketbooks to your will for us this day.  Amen