Jesus warns, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and looses his own soul.” (Matt.16:26)
Clearly our priority in life should not be to accumulate material stuff but to invest in the invisible kingdom by following the invincible King.
In 1993 we received His call like Abram to, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Gen. 12:1) Likely he was, as we were, very comfortable in UlsteR of the Chaldees, but like St. Brendan 1500 years before us, we 9 set sail in our little coracle westward from the Emerald Isle trusting in the God of the winds and the waves to direct us too in our seeking ‘the land of promise’. It was around that time we discovered that the name America may be derived from the Old Gothic meaning ‘kingdom of heaven.’
We had been blessed by my earthly and heavenly fathers with a house in Ireland, so when we sold it we were able to buy one in Minneapolis (which incidentally we had never seen!) and also a van to accommodate the 9 of us. We were left with $40,000.
“Phew” I thought, “A little cushion until we secure a source of income in this new world!”
“Give it away” Father replied. “I want you to trust in me, not in your money.”
Since we gave it away we have managed to pay our bills at the end of every month for the last 23+ years. God has proven true to his promise that if we seek first the kingdom of God all these things (necessary for living) will be added unto us. (Matt.5:33) He has provided in many wonderful and unexpected ways.
Just this week we received the gift of a golden dollar. I had not seen much less stewarded one before! This happened immediately after (unknown to the giver) we were lead to empty our bank account again to meet another person’s need.
Then there was the ‘gift’ of the dress Hilary found in a thrift store for $5 and “took in” to fit perfectly the unwitting model above : – ) I snapped her as she came into the study while I was writing this blog! God anoints Ulster Scot thriftiness too!
This journey of trusting that God pays for what he orders, and provides where he guides has been a bit of a roller coaster of a learning curve not without it’s hairy moments! I remember when we announced at the end of a conference soon after we arrived that we wanted to give the gift God had given us away for free, a group of ‘vultures’ swopped on our stall and grabbed every last thing, including the display model tee shirts!
It does cost money to record and manufacture CDs and to maintain The Big Green House, however we have been lead to not charge for our services, and to seek to make our music freely available. In this sense we have not personally profited from the songs God has given us or from the retreats we host regularly at our home or from the people we have invited to live with us as part of our household. Like St. Paul I think we can safely say we have “preached the gospel free of charge’ (2 Cor.11:7)
Now wanting to make the music available digitally we’ve realized the simplest thing is to go with the systems that are set up and there is therefore an unavoidable charge, but from day to day we continue to seek to model an approach to Kingdom Economics which believes in a giving and receiving that honors the Christ in one another rather than a buying and selling for self aggrandizement. Inasmuch as we understand this is the nature of our King and His Kingdom we continue to seek to come to this ‘land of promise’ to prophet rather than to profit.
We were beautifully confirmed in these recent steps when a lady from Australia requested our sheet music. I wrote back to say in a few weeks it would be freely available on the website. I said she could make a donation if she would like to. I thought she might give $20. She donated $200. I was able to write and encourage her that the $200 gift had exactly covered the cost of the new web site. (Stephen and Abby generously donated their time and expertise as an honoring gift)
We deeply appreciate everyone who over the years has been moved by love and prompted by faith as Father’s channels of provision whether with gifts of money, time, energy or skills to enable us to continue to go wherever we are sent and to receive whomever we are sent with Father’s love in the name of Christ.
P.S. As I was writing this blog I was also on the line with United Airways trying to change Gilbert’s flight to the UK where he will be studying in Glasgow for a semester. As usual there was a lot of, “Sorry for the delay Dr. Kyle. Please stay on the line.” Just as I completed the blog the pleasant Korean sounding lady came back a final time to tell me that the flights would now have one stop instead of two and she would waive the change fee as a one time good will gesture. She then informed me I would also be getting $140 refunded to my credit card for taxes that were now no longer due.
What a Dad we have !!!