We all know that Stewardship of our beloved Trinity Church is important. How do we know that? Because, in our hearts, we know what belonging to this faith community means to each of our lives.

My years serving on the Stewardship Committee and in various other service to Trinity have taught some important ideas. First of all, I do indeed believe that all the good I’ve experienced in this world and life has come from God. While sometimes I doubt this concept, I nonetheless always come back to the fact there is no other explanation. I certainly haven’t deserved my fortunate place in this world, but I’m grateful every day for the accident of my birth, the relative ease of my life, and the many blessings I’ve enjoyed. So, gratitude to God comes more easily to me than many of the other aspects of faith that I sometimes strive to understand and inhabit. But what does stewardship mean to me? Frankly, it’s come to mean one of the best ways that I can deepen my spiritual journey.

When I first started along this path, I had a great many fears. How could I live into real stewardship—and by that I mean working towards a proportional level of giving? It immediately seemed too sacrificial to me. I had material needs that I needed to take care of and I was concerned that proportional—or, for heaven’s sake—tithing, would interfere with those needs. But listening to the real messages of stewardship, delivered from the pulpit here and shared by members of the stewardship committee, I began to realize that real generosity—acknowledging what God had given me, and giving back to God—was not really that difficult. With each step forward, I was amazed that I did not miss that amount I had dedicated back to God. Indeed, I felt “richer” with each step.

I realize that not everyone can move swiftly and fearlessly toward proportional giving. It wasn’t easy for me. But giving God back an important portion of the income that has come my way has never turned out to feel like a sacrifice. I do it and I seem to be richer and more blessed in every aspect of my life. That’s why it’s important to me to share with you the benefit of truly recognizing the blessings God has bestowed upon each of us and attempting to give back to God, both time and treasure. Stewardship is an invitation to give that part of your spiritual journey a chance to help you deepen your gratitude and your faith in God.

Deborah Robbins