I was at a floral shop recently and decided it was time to cash in on a gift certificate I had won at least 3 years ago and which had lived in my purse most of that time. The sales woman graciously accepted the tattered paper with no expiry date, and I got myself a rather cool eclectic type plant for my living room (pictured here). It's just 3 stalks sticking out of stones and only requires water every 2 weeks, kinda like bamboo, but not. As she was wrapping it, I asked her what it was. My eyes lit up at her response. "A money plant." Well!! If there was anything we need right now it's money because we've purchased a car to replace our jalopy. I took the plant home with great excitement and have begun to watch it with interest (no pun intended). I have seen a silver dollar plant in outdoor gardens, but I am quite sure I can see new paper currency beginning to form on the stems of my plant! It's hard to tell whether the bills are going to be blue, purple, or brown.
Of course, if they are American bills they won't be so pretty, nor will I likely know their value until they're full grown, but they may be worth more in the long run. I am fertilizing the plant heavily and am hoping for a bountiful harvest. Don't bother asking me to 'loan' you the plant...although I'll give you 'credit' for asking. (Groan).
Here's a picture of our new used car. 
We don't own a garage or carport. If you are observant, you will note that our driveway is directly beneath the birds' flight path to the birdfeeders and birdbath. That is why we chose a black car. We're looking forward to the quadrillion maple keys and accompanying sap in the next month or so. For those of you wondering about that Jaguar...at last word it has been sold and we will be letting it go in the next day or two. We already have 3 cars in the driveway, so it's okay. We'll deal with it.
All kidding aside, we are so grateful for this car now that our other one is not highway worthy. It is a wonderful car and we are not used to such luxury. It's funny but I always experience a feeling of guilt whenever I have anything nice. This feeling was more than punctuated after going on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. We walked through the filth of garbage and disease, and observed the desperate conditions of poverty in leaky tin shacks that made my ugly, rusty, outdoor tool shed seem like a large, wonderful dwelling place. When I arrived home and walked through the front door of my home, I was overcome and had to weep because I felt like I live in a mansion and don't even know it. I don't think there is a night I lay my head on my pillow that I don't think of the homeless and the poor and the desolate, and wonder how it is that I can have a roof, a pillow, a warm blanket, and a full stomach. Why me? Why not them? So I have tried to make it a habit that if I am spending money on something that is other than necessity, I must also give as generously as possible to a needy cause. We live in a culture that seems to spend every paycheque soon after receipt and often on selfish, needless stuff. But are we not blessed so that we can give it away...and as we do so....we receive more to give away again?! I remember when we paid off our first house. We had no kids and had made it our goal to get rid of the mortgage. We did it, and I wanted to celebrate the fact. But somehow, being debt free at that time was not the wonderful 'high' that I thought it would be. It was actually rather empty. I realized why people with everything are not happy. That's not where the joy is. But when we learned to give without thought of return or recognition, it was more wonderful than receiving! It's not about how much you have or the size of your gift, but the attitude of your heart as you give. Jesus noticed the little widow who gave only 2 pennies as compared with the rich people who gave much....he noticed because he knew it was all she had...given with a generous heart*.
And so as I watch my money plant slowly grow, I will dream of ways to give away its bounty, but in the meantime, I'll check out my other resources....like my husband's wallet.
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35 (New International Version Bible)
*Mark 12:41-44
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