When God Multiplies What You Surrender — David & Carol Richards
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Throughout our married life (61 years at this writing), we have striven to give at least ten percent (10%) of our income to our local church. I would not represent that we have always reached this goal. Several years ago, our church initiated the largest fund raiser in its history to build a new sanctuary and children’s building-an amount more than twice what had ever been raised before in previous fundraisers in total. Quite an undertaking and step of faith.
At that time, I had recently read Lt. Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick’s book on his spiritual journey, which included his thoughts on giving. For a fund raiser in his church, he had pledged ten percent (10%) of his financial net worth for a building project, just to make sure he hadn’t cheated God, and God had been faithful to him to enable him meet this pledge over a three-year period.
We decided to make the same pledge-ten percent (10%) of our net worth to be paid over a three-year period. We dedicated a portion of our investment portfolio to the project and said “God this is yours, do with it what you will”. Over the next three years this investment doubled, enabling us to give twice our initial pledge. In addition, I (David) had an annuity from a previous employer that I had been told could not be “cashed out”, only drawn out over time once I retired. In the last year of the three-year pledge, we received a letter saying this investment could now be ‘Cashed out”. It amounted to approximately what we had initially pledged.
So, God allowed us to give double what we had pledged, plus He gave us our initial pledge back, tax free. We continue to strive to honor God's Kingdom work with our finances. To Him be the glory.
—David & Carol Richards
