Okay God, I get it. I hear you loud and clear. You want me to tithe.

Let me go back a little, I grew up in the Lutheran church, ELCA style. We didn’t clap, we didn’t shout ‘Amen’ at an inspiring part of the sermon and we didn’t tithe. Really, I don’t think I even learned the word until I heard an athlete mention that the first thing he did after signing a multi-million dollar contract was tithe. It was that point that God put the word in my head.

My Lutheran church had Sundays where they talked about time and talents and honoring God but there was nothing specifically said about money, nothing that I remember.

I got the donation envelopes at my first apartment and I was annoyed – I though it pretty presumptuous to send me envelopes in a church I wasn’t happy with. I don’t remember ever giving money to my church. I didn’t feel I had to, I didn’t feel my salary was enough or that I was too young to take that seriously.

In January of 2011 I took Financial Peace – a class to learn how to be better with money and be a steward to your resources. Tithing came up again because Dave Ramsey outlining the biblical references to tithing. The first line on his budget is for charitable giving. Before anything else charitable giving.

And tithing has been in my heart ever since. I talked to my dad – he doesn’t subscribe to the 10% rule but he does give. It came up in sermons that I listened to, radio stations I happened upon. It’s so strange when you feel that all of the those coincidences are just that – chance. As I struggle to pay off some stupid tax and medical debt, it seems so unreasonable to throw 10% out the window. But God continues to chase me. And today I sent my first tithe.

I am not saying that you must tithe 10% to be a good Christian. I am not saying that your time and talents you give aren’t amazing and beneficial and wonderful. It comes down to the fact that I have been beyond blessed and I need to stop focusing 100% on me and my needs and send 10% to someone else. I am saying that the 10% is what feels good to me, right now.