"What Sacrifice Looks Like for Me"
On Announcement Sunday, May 16, Julia Davis shared with Dr. Jeffress, and our congregation, the following testimony:
"Well God has shown me that I needed to get serious in two areas. First, where is my treasure? Am I storing up riches where moth and rust corrupt, or am I laying up treasure in Heaven? And second, am I truly willing to depend on God for my financial security?
In the past 15 years of our marriage, Kelly and I have struggled financially. We’ve watched our friends flourish in their careers, while we have gone through a series of layoffs. The last occurred in August, the day after we returned from our daughter’s wedding. It was a long seven months before Kelly finally found a job through great friends here at church.
During this period of unemployment, the coming Capital Campaign was revealed and we wondered how we would be able to contribute since we were making due on my small salary as a receptionist. We were also supporting the missionary work of our daughter through InterVarsity Fellowship. Her three year commitment with them was ending coincidentally this month, and about a month ago I began dreaming about being able to redirect those monthly payments into our depleted savings account and rebuilding what had been lost. But God had bigger dreams and plans.
In Sunday School we’ve been studying Exodus and the children of Israel’s journey through the wilderness, and I really love the timing of that epic story set against our own church’s path towards transformation. I loved how the Isralites were so willing to sacrifice to build the temple and how God was so faithful to meet their every need, all along their way. He even kept their clothes from wearing out for 40 years. And one of my decisions in order to divert money to the building fund is that I won’t buy any new clothes for the next three years … I figure if God can keep their clothes together for 40 years, He can do the same for mine for three.
Another impact for me has been, since November, to ride the bus to and from work. And while you might not think it, that has really been a blessing for me. I have a gift of time to sit and read my Bible, and it’s been my delight to meet people outside of my circle of church friends - I've invited them to our wonderful church and I’ve passed out DVDs of Changed Life Sunday, hopefully making a connection between them and what they made perceive to be as an imposing and unfamiliar downtown church.
What motivates me to stand up here where I’m not very comfortable being, is that I believe that there are other families here like mine who live paycheck to paycheck with nothing to reserve. Our hearts are full of gratitude, but our pocketbooks are meager and not so full. We’re a little afraid to give and worry that our gifts are too small to matter, but the Bible says that perfect love cast out all fear, and I believe that more than I’m willing to believe my doubts. Jesus said 'bring it to me. Bring your loaves and your fishes and I will bless them and multiply them.'
Last week the theater called me to renew my subscription and I really love attending, but I explained to the man on the phone that I would not have the funds to continue that. And before I could feel sorry for myself and my so-called sacrifice, I remember the story about the two men working side-by-side laying bricks, and the first man was very steadily and routinely placing his bricks and the second man was smiling and whistling, even while doing the same work – the first man was asked, what are you doing, and he said, “well, I’m laying bricks,” and the second man was asked, and beaming he said “I’m building a cathedral!” So I’m here today doing what God has set before me to do, I’m building a sanctuary."