The Blessings of Tithing

When we first moved to Boise, Gideon and I were both jobless, connectionless, had been married for about a week, and were just returning from our honeymoon.

So.

A LOT of changes:

-Getting Married (obviously)

-Moving to a city where neither of us had lived before

-Changing schedules from full time students to full time job seekers

-less money in the bank...

-living with each other in a tiny one bedroom apartment

(ahem, sharing a bathroom)

Like I said. A lot of changes.

Initially we were deciding between moving to Provo, and coming to Boise. We felt better about Boise, so we took a deep breath, closed our eyes and jumped into the pool. As soon as we moved, we were blessed almost immediately, confirming our prompting to come to the

CITY OF TREES.

I found a job as the director of dance at a gymnastics academy the 2nd day we were in Boise, and Gideon found a seasonal job selling board games at the mall (which, if you were wondering, he was awesome at). So it was basically incredible; that we, not having any connections were able to find more than decent jobs. Money was coming into the bank, we got to see eachother often.

Life was good.

Gid kept his eyes open for other job opportunities and found an opening for a non paid internship with the governors office. I was with him when he was looking at the application, and I remember thinking that it was in-tense. But Gid just smiled, got the paperwork together, and sent it in.

About a month later he was asked to come in for an interview. I remember dropping him off at the Capitol, and being a little intimidated and nervous for him.

When I picked him up, he was cheerful, but felt a little less than confident about how the interview went. They asked stupid questions like,

'if you were stranded on an island, what is the 1 thing you'd want with you?'

(*gideon's answer: his scriptures)

There were also several other interviewees who looked pret-ty qualified.

In a situation like this, I would probably bury myself in rice cakes and 'So You Think You Can Dance' reruns, then get back on craigslist, and search for job openings in nearby food services. (we live pretty close to a taco bell...)

Not Gideon. He kept his head up high and continued looking for job opportunities.Christmas Eve, while we were waiting at the airport for our flight to board, Gideon got a call. He took his phone, and as his eyes widened, he whispered, "it's the governor's office!" Then he answered the phone in his cheerful 'I'm pretending I don't know who this is' voice. Within the first 2 seconds I knew that he had landed the internship. I was so proud of him, and surprised to discover that I wasn't surprised at all. They would've been sheer idiots to not take my Gideon.

Throughout the next several months, Gideon attended Graduate School, and interned full time. During this time, we were living off of my dance teaching paychecks, (which weren't by any means impressive) and I was nervous money would get too tight. I remember one Sunday feeling a little anxious as I wrote out my tithing slip. We weren't even close to any kind of trouble, but I felt like we were living from paycheck to paycheck. Additionally, I was feeling like it was time for me to seek a different job that would work better for me and my life. However, we were in no financial position for me to just sever the only source of money we had only to go job hunting yet again. As I gave the bishop the tithing, I felt a silent confirmation that we were doing the right thing by paying a full tithe.

The next morning, as I was getting ready to go to work Gideon called me. He asked if I could talk for a few minutes. I thought he wanted me to drop him off something to eat, or maybe bring something he forgot at home, but it wasn't that. He informed me that he had been offered a full time job with full benefits working for the State of Idaho in the division of financial management. The first thing that came to mind was a flashback of myself- anxiously paying tithing only a few hours earlier.

I'm not saying that Gideon wouldn't have received the job offer if I hadn't paid on Sunday.

But I'm not saying he would have if I didn't pay our tithing either.

I'm just sayin'. The blessings of tithing are real.

And we have been heavily blessed by them.

His schedule didn't change at all which was awesome. Gideon just started getting paid for his full time work. Meanwhile, I was feeling more intensely now that I needed to switch jobs and one day I decided to send my resume out to five different wanted ads, just to see if I got any bites. I got five. I was offered a full time position at a Chiropractic Clinic, and took it immediately (ecstatic with the offer). Within the next week, I was called by each of the other interviewers with offers of their own; but looking back, I'm pretty sure I got the best one I could have asked for. The people I work for are so fantastic that I will have to save the details for a later time. I know that it was through the blessing of tithing that I was able to land a better paying job with more hours and benefits. On those days when I'm writing my tithing out, and a feel a twinge of anxiousness, all I have to do is remember how the Lord has taken care of us in the past when we've obeyed His laws, and know that He will continue to care for me and my husband as we honor Him. Period.

Gideon called me a few hours ago to let me know something: he's been offered a promotion.

Blessings, blessings galore.

So much more than we could ever deserve.

I don't know much, but I know this: tithing is real.

And I'm so grateful for it.