If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“What are we going to do now?” Our world had turned upside down the day before when my husband’s income, our carefully planned future, suddenly seemed perched on a terrifying precipice. In that moment, a memory instantly transported me from that breakfast room to the edge of a cliff on a West Virginia Mountain top.
An inexperienced climber, I had gone on a mountain-climbing instruction weekend with college friends. The panoramic view from the summit was breathtaking—ample reward for the long, challenging ascent. When it was time to descend the mountain, I learned we were going to rappel our way down, which literally involved stepping off a cliff.
I was outfitted with a harness and instructed how to use my hand as a brake to control my descent. Stepping backward off the sheer drop, with only the rope to prevent me from falling hundreds of feet to the ground below, was one of the most terrifying moments I have ever experienced.
And as I stepped off that cliff, I was dismayed to discover I wasn’t moving downward at all. I hung there suspended in space, and panic began to set in. Then I heard the gentle voice of my instructor above me saying. “You are gripping the rope too tightly, Jennifer. Loosen your hold a little and let the rope flow through your hands.”
I followed his instructions, and slowly descended until my thankful feet stood on solid ground. I recalled that experience on the mountain as I sat there with my husband… both of us feeling as though we were suspended in air with no safety tether. Our conversation ended with fervent prayers to discern God’s next plan for us.
God faithfully answered our prayers… as our financial situation began to recover, I found we had the tendency to hold tightly onto our earnings—the pain of the recent job loss was still very fresh in our memory. But God’s gentle voice reminded us to loosen our grip–to let the blessings God provides flow through us—just like the rappel rope on the mountain.”
Jennifer Wilder Morgan in Saving Grace: Hope-Filled Devotions Along the Way to Financial Well-Being (Nashville: Abingdon, 2020) 13-14.
This is a great little book. I commend it to anyone who desires to live openhandedly and generously. It’s also for those who want to help others grow spiritually linked to financial matters. It uses little stories like this one to send big messages.
The memory of difficult times in the past causes us to hold tight to what we have in the present. When Jennifer loosened her grip, she made it to solid ground. Likewise, when we loosen our grip on money, we find the solid path God desires for us.
Pause to ponder your generosity as 2021 ends. Are you holding tightly to God’s resources in fear? How might loosening your grip and choosing to let God’s blessings flow help you find the solid path your heart longs for?