Making Cents

As most of you following this blog have realized, I tend to see "God" things through situations that happen in every day life ... and those are the things that I tend to share here. Today's post is not going to be the exception to the rule, but it might be less entertaining than some of the others. It might pull at your heart strings more than some of the others ... and hopefully just hopefully it will stay with you a little longer than the others.

Let's start with the day to day experience that birthed the hope that I will lay before you for thought. I live in Arizona, and Arizona like many other states is in financial trouble. Millions of dollars were cut from the budget this year ... leaving us still with an enormous statewide crisis unsolved. To remedy this, our governor proposed a 1 cent sales tax increase that would last for 3 years. This 1 cent sacrifice would spare education in our state an additional 440 million dollar slashing ... not to mention the millions that would be further cut from other critical service occupations. A few days ago, the sales tax proposition passed. In the ensuing media coverage it was estimated that this 1 cent tax will raise an estimated 1 billion dollars per year for our state. $1,ooo,000,000,000 dollars a year, which is 100 billion pennies.

I was floored when I heard this. A one cent sales tax ... I will pay 1 more penny on every dollar I spend ... 10 pennies on every $10, and $1 on every hundred. If I were to spend a thousand dollars, it would only be an additional $10. It seems like such a small amount to me ... but it has the potential to make a huge difference for our state ... when combined with so many others that are putting in their 1 cent tax as well. In Arizona there was a need, and working together ... sacrificing a mere 1% tax ... we will work to provide a solution.

This started me thinking about the world ... specifically all of the people who live in poverty. Regardless of where the poverty is ... which continent we pick to talk about ... poverty kills. BUT ... it is such a huge problem ... one that seems insurmountable. How can one person make a difference? Unless you are one of the world's 497 billionaires, probably not much in the way of solving it. BUT ... what if we all did a little? What if we all gave just a little ... if 1 % from each of the citizens of Arizona raises 1 billion per year, what would 1% from each citizen in the U.S. raise? I can't imagine the number, but I bet it would go a long way in solving the problem of poverty.

One more random thought ... and then I will close ... people sometimes give as a reaction to guilt. I believe with all my heart that this undermines the gift and robs the giver. You see we are designed to give ... from our very beginnings when God breathed life into Adam's nostrils ... we were created to give Him glory and relationship. We are also not saved to despair, but rather to hope ... from the moment that Christ drew in His final human breath on the cross ... we were saved to share hope. I believe that there is something important to see here. When we give to those that are in poverty ... we give out of hope not guilt .. we give to give hope not desperation.

I think that the problem is that the problem is just too big ... to overwhelming ... too real. It is scary and people tend to shy away from it because it feels like there is no way that mere individuals can make a difference. That might be true, if we fail to join together and fight it arm in arm.

So, let's take a look ... let's look at an amazing opportunity to lock arms and give hope .... here are the numbers .... BUT don't stop reading ... the challenge is at the bottom.




Here is the challenge. What if we all ... all 20 of us that actually read this ... committed to use their change to create change? To encourage all of our friends to do the same? To post it on our blogs, on Face Book, on MySpace? And then picked an organization that helps people in poverty and donated the change? Change for Change. What do you think?