On Stewardship: The Collection Plate

When I was walking my dog Cloe the other day I noticed a discarded string of lottery tickets on the ground all scratched out. My first reaction was the disgust I feel when people carelessly litter, but afterwards I reflected on the feelings of the person who had bought the worthless tickets and left them on the ground.
This person had taken a leap of faith. Paid 10 or 15 dollars hoping to win big. They might even have fantasized a win might solve all their problems. A wonderful thought, but one quickly followed by a wave of disappointment and the humiliation of knowing they had been "taken." They were fooled.
I contrast this feeling to the one I have when I put $20 in the collection plate on Sunday. This is a leap of faith that I take. I make this offering not to St. John's but to God, because I am thankful for all the blessings God has given me through my friends, my family and my co-workers this week. I know the money will help someone in some fashion, and trust completely that it will be used properly, but that is not why I give.
I have grown to view the collection plate as an opportunity to interact directly with God by making a sacrifice on my part, like the early Israelites did with burnt offerings thousands of years ago. The amount I give is right for me. The amount is different for each of us. Too small an amount would not be an act of sacrifice. It is an amount I can't afford to throw away.
Unlike the person who was "hosed" by the lottery tickets, I feel lighthearted after making this small sacrifice on Sunday morning. This part of the service now has great meaning for me. I offer this to you as an opportunity to enrich your relationship with God by showing thanks. Where the physical offering goes is not important, but the act of offering is.
When I take this leap of faith, I anticipate good things may come from this. But I don't judge God for what is returned to me. Instead, I strive to accept that all I have has been given to me with God's uncontainable love.

-Jim LaBelle