What a weird title, huh? But, OH the wisdom behind these words that were spoken to me as a young girl, sitting on the edge of my grandma’s bed while she took out her pantyhose, on a Saturday night, getting ready for Sunday morning. I used to spend every weekend with my grandparents. It would start on a Friday, right after school, when they would pick me up. I couldn’t WAIT because I just loved my grandparents so much and I loved being with them, talking with them, not to mention, I was a tad spoiled by them as well. I would sleep in the den, which was my “happy place” back then and sit and talk with my grandma at the dining room table. I would sing to my Sandi Patti TAPES in my aunts bedroom and watch WWF wrestling with my grandpa on Saturday mornings and watch him work in the garage during the day. OH, how I loved my weekends. The smell of fresh HOT NY bagels, coffee and the sight of Grandma with her open Bible. These were my weekends.
What I remember most, aside from all of that, was my grandfather would go to his office, first thing when we got home. I would follow him down the stairs and watch as he would take out his tithing envelope ( we didn’t have push pay and online paying back then) and write his tithe. He would then proceed up the stairs, give it to my grandmother who would, then, put it right in her Bible.
They would always tell me how God provides and keeps everything working for them. But the BEST was the story behind the title…….The Pantyhose story. One Saturday as grandma was getting her Sunday best ready, she took out her pantyhose that she kept in the drawer. She said to me “do you know how long I’ve had these Tammy?” I shook my head no. “Ive had these a whole year with no runs in them. Do you know why?” Again, I shook my head no. “Because I tithe. God makes sure that all my pantyhose never get a run in them and that all my things last. He promised to rebuke the devourer on my behalf, and look….He did….no runs in any of my pantyhose!” She chuckled and the fact she was telling me about pantyhose, but with grandma and grandpa, they knew who took care of them and they knew that it was because they “proved Him” over and over by taking Him at His Word.
Bring all your tithes (the tenth) into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you (so great) a blessing until there is no more room to receive it. 11: Then I will rebuke the devourer (insects, plagues) for your sake and he will not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor will your vine in the filed drop its grapes (before harvest), “ says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:10-11
My grandparents had a revelation of scripture and it started by simply obeying Gods Word, to step out in faith, despite any perceived lack, and believe that He would do what He promised to do. Grandpa would even say “the appliances always last, my cars last, my tires last, even my gas lasts because I tithe Tammy. I could never feed and take care of this family if God didn’t keep HIs word. I know Gods got it!”
What a peace we can live knowing that blessing and God’s provision comes when we simply trust and obey. That verse in Malachi is the only time God basically tells us “true me, I dare ya!”
I witnessed God provide over and over again, for my grandparents. Now that I am an adult and know, first hand, the cost of living, I look back and, with even more awe, know that it was solely the hand of God and Him keeping His Word that we had what we had. Grandpa even had enough to spoil his granddaughter with a full line of the popular “Z-Cavaricci” jeans in all the colors, buy me my class ring and throw me some great birthday and graduation parties, lol.
But the BEST ever tithing story will always be The Pantyhose story!!!
So today I throw out, what we will call “The pantyhose challenge”, I triple dog dare you…take Him at His word today. God can do more with your 90% than you ever could withholding the 100%
#pointstoponder
