We live in a day and age, where raising funds for non-profit organizations, the needy, or even individual projects are more prevalent than ever before. Thanks to modern technology, it is becoming more streamlined, whereas it used to be more ‘boots on the ground.’ Fundraisers come in all shapes and forms, but one of our main fundraisers when we pastored in Indiana, was chicken and dumpling dinners. This was quite popular, because it is a Southern dish that everyone loved, but could not get in the North that often, so they would look forward to it. Though rewarding, it was challenging work! Not only the selling of the tickets leading up to the event, but the at least two to four day process of buying ingredients, making the dumplings, delivering them to the customers, and then we cannot forget the cleanup afterwards. Yard sales and bake sales also used to be quite popular.
Going much further back in time, possibly to our grandparents’ day, or beyond, when people were hungry or in need, folks would open their homes to them. They would invite them to dinner or give them clothes, shoes or blankets when needed, and this may still exist in part today, however, with political correctness so prevalent, and magnified everywhere we go these days, the minds of people are more on themselves than those in need. We have been geared toward looking inwardly, instead of outwardly. It is unfortunate as well, that when a kind person might want to reach out to others, they must keep in mind the safety of their own family in this crazy world we live in. Good ole southern hospitality is so needed, but because we run the risk of being robbed or assaulted, we have learned to be more guarded and closed off from the real world as it were. We often live cloistered lives with ‘our four and no more.’
People are very innovative and have come up with so many new ways to give, even more than we might deem necessary. You might see a tip jar for a host, server, or clerk. There could be a jar for a special person or project, with a caption or a picture telling what it represents. This could be for anything from needy children to cancer research to a personal family member of the proprietor. Often people try to raise funds for burial expenses because this is a cost they had not anticipated. Another way they sneak in and go about raising funds is by saying to the customer verbally, or in writing, can we keep the change. This also happens with online shopping in this new technological age. The causes will differ, maybe for St. Jude, Red Cross, or whatever the owner of the establishment has deemed a worthy cause, but this is something you will encounter almost daily.
Asking people if they would like to give their change is indeed a brilliant idea, though I do not know where it originated. There are several reasons why it is such a good notion. Firstly, we live in a day where the young people in the work force who may still be in high school, or freshly graduated, do not know how to make change, therefore, allowing customers to donate the change directly to a cause solves that problem. When I first started working many decades ago as a cashier in a grocery store, we would have to count the change as we put it into the customer’s hand, while counting allowed, so that the customer was sure before they left the building, that they had received the correct amount of change. I have not seen this done in years, and the process is quite painful to watch now. The young cashiers will read from the screen the amount of change you are supposed to get, go through the slow, agonizing process of getting the change out of the drawer, and then just stuff something into your hand that they feel you should assume is in fact the same amount as what they just recited to you. It would indeed be good practice to count your change before leaving to make sure it is correct. If you want to avoid this grueling scenario altogether, we now have the option to just use our debit or credit card. Secondly, because people do not like to have loose change in their pockets, they would more readily give it to a worthy cause than worry about hanging on to it or finding a place to put it in their purse or car.
There was a time where the motto, “Keep the change,” was used readily in tipping. This could be in a restaurant to a server or a taxi driver, or any sort of public attendant. However, this depended on what your bill was, and how much you gave as payment. For instance, if your check came to $8.50, and you paid with a $10.00 bill, you could say, ‘keep the change’, however, if for the same check you had given a $20.00 bill, you could, but most probably would not have said ‘keep the change’, because your $1.50 tip would immediately jump to an $11.50 tip. Because we do not carry cash as much anymore, this practice has almost become obsolete. We now must write down the amount we want to give from our card on the check, and of course now though there are ‘suggested’ percentages for tipping, they are almost expected.
With this ‘keep the change’ idea, that folks today think is new, but is only a ‘rejuvenated’ old idea, comes the thought that if everyone who shops in your establishment would say ‘keep the change’, anything under a dollar, which could now apply to both cash and card, there are funds to be had. I am not a great mathematician, but I think they may be onto something. If you had one thousand customers per day, you would raise anywhere between $10.00 to $990.00 per day, with no effort on your part other than just merely asking and giving folks the opportunity to give their change. Now you can do the math, depending on the number of customers you think your favorite establishment might have, such as a Starbucks or a local grocery store.
When it comes to other changes in our lives, besides monetary, our motto is absolutely, “keep the change.” It does not matter how much or how little, we generally do not like change, and some would use a stronger word, for it like hate or despise. American businessman, author and syndicated columnist, Harvey McKay stated, “There’s only one who likes change, and that is a wet baby.” However, much to our chagrin, change is inevitable. Just as the baby is wet, cold, and uncomfortable, we become out of sorts eventually even in our comfort zone, and even though we feel and would even acknowledge that we are not happy or content with our lives anymore, we are still resistant to change. Why is it that an infant is more astute in recognizing their needs than we are? We live in a constant state of denial, overthinking things and avoiding reality. In Matthew 18:1-7 this is Jesus’ admonition to us. “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”
Learning from experience, accepting help and change as a child does, is not only to our advantage, but what the Lord requires of us. Simple faith and trust in Him, without over analyzing things is an imperative for continued success in life. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” He will show us what is needed in our lives when we seek him, and the key is, we must accept his answer. The definition of insanity is said to be, “Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result!” Things will not change, until we change how we are doing things, the way we are approaching situations, or change what we are doing altogether.
James W. Keyes who served as CEO of the 7-Eleven convenience stores and Blockbusters, Inc, and is now Wild Oats Marketing LLC., coined the phrase using the acronym C.E.O., “Change Equals Opportunity”. The question posed to him in a short interview I saw of him recently, asking how he went from his prior job to becoming the CEO of the 7 Eleven companies. He stated that he had to learn to adopt the mindset of change early in his career. He stated, “No one else likes change, so if I can embrace it, it will have marketable value, aka money in the bank. We will all change whether we are resistant to it or want to or not, but to embrace it is liberating and empowering.”
Thinking back from a purely human standpoint of course to the life of Jesus, during his first thirty years, life was good. Everything was peaceful and comfortable in the small town of Nazareth where everyone knew everyone. It seems that his stepfather Joseph had passed away before His ministry began but had been around long enough to be known as the neighborhood carpenter and had probably taught Jesus the trade. Jesus knew his life had a much higher calling and far reaching purpose than just making furniture. In all practicality and by anyone’s standards, having a trade where he could provide for a family and a comfortable life would have been sufficient for most men his age, but he knew change was on the horizon, as did his mother when she recruited him at the wedding in Cana to provide wine for the entire wedding party. We see him resisting at first, in John 2:4-5, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” Yet, because he stepped out by faith, this is known as his first miracle, though the purpose he came to the world was to die on the cross to redeem mankind. Jesus told Zaccheaus, in Matthew 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” He came to serve, not to build a physical legacy, but a spiritual kingdom, so that all could have the chance of salvation and everlasting life. Yet, to fulfill that calling, he had to embrace change and serve in smaller ways first. He had to leave home, family and his business, to see change begin to take place in his life.
Jesus was educated in the Old Testament law and knew that he had to wait for the appointed time to begin his ministry so that scripture might be fulfilled. Numbers 4:3, “From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.” Psalm 110:1-4, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews tells us in 5:1-10, “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.” There was nothing wrong with Jesus earthly life before his ministry, but because he embraced change, he was able in the eyes of men to lay down his hammer and nails and take on his priestly role and fulfill his ultimate calling.
As Keyes stated, change equals opportunity. Change is not our enemy. Changes Jesus made to facilitate his ministry were, he left home, family and friends, he sought out John the Baptist to be baptized as an example to all, he recruited disciples to assist Him and to ensure that the gospel was propagated once he ascended into heaven. He began a concentrated effort of teaching and preaching, showing compassion, and working miracles to show what his purpose on earth was and to set the stage for his end goal, which was to die on calvary. His change began to have a snowball or domino effect, because when his life shone a light into the darkness of the world he lived in, all the filth and evil was revealed. This ultimately facilitated his end goal. He was blamed of being a sinner and blasphemer, which led to his death, however, it was all in the plan of God so that we could be set free from the bondage of sin. His death brought us life and life more abundant.
We must step out of our comfort zone and embrace change to see new things accomplished in our lives. You may have hopes and dreams, New Year’s resolutions, a long bucket list or just things written down that are your general goals in life, but without change, nothing will change, and none of those will ever come to fruition. We must become the CEO of our own lives and circumstances and see change as an opportunity. Plan, embrace change, step out on faith, and act. Leave behind what is good, for what may be better or best for us.
Changes do not always have to be astronomical, or earth shaking to make an enormous impact and difference. You may not want to change churches, but you may not be happy with what you are or are not doing in your church. Decide to speak up and voice your concerns or desires to the pastor or a mentor and see what God can do to open doors for you through your simple step of faith. You may not want to leave your current job, but likewise, you may not be happy in your current role there. Decide to do things differently, or to seek new and available opportunities within your company to see change in your life. We may feel like our world is falling apart, or our house is falling in on us and we are suffocating. We may be living in fear or filled with anxiety or just claustrophobic, often the smallest of changes can make the biggest difference in our lives. Clean out a closet, declutter the pantry, organize a drawer, put up a new picture, paint a room, or cut branches that are taking over the house. Take things to the dumpster that you have not used in years. You will be surprised how that unencumbering your life, and making those subtle changes can literally change your entire outlook on life and free you from the rut you have carved out for yourself. A mindset change is as important as physical changes, and often more so, because they can catapult you to the next step or phase in your journey. Clean out your heart and mind and take things to the proverbial dumpster that no longer edifies or serves you emotionally and spiritually.
We must get off the treadmill of life, of doing the same old thing daily expecting different results. We truly can feel insane at times, and just cannot pinpoint it. We often feel overwhelmed and begin to play the blame game, pointing fingers at everyone around us, but we fail to take a good look in the mirror to see the real culprit of our unhappiness and discontentment. We need to embrace and implement change. James 1:22-25 states, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” I for one, want Jesus to change me continuously, so that I can be more like Him. We must act and embrace change and ditch the motto, ‘keep the change’ to see this happen for us individually. When we give God the green light to do wonderous things in our lives we will be amazed at what change can do. Perhaps we will then adopt a new motto that says, ‘Lord, keep the change coming’!