Above and Beyond.

On the way home from work one day, Cliff asked me, “What else could we have done with fifty-thousand dollars?”

The question stunned me. I was caught off-guard.

For our wedding ceremony in Singapore last year, our guests had generously given us a total of $40’000 SGD worth of angpow (monetary gifts), of which all was donated to an anti-trafficking ministry in Cambodia; and for our unexpectedly heavily sponsored second wedding ceremony in Canada which we had never dared to imagine would be possible, we had received $7’000 CDN as donations for a social enterprise in Calcutta, supporting abused and trafficked women and children.

Cliff said, “So in total, we gave away about 50’000 dollars.”

 

There was a silence between us. Recently, we got news that the $40’000 from our first wedding had finally borne fruit: the guesthouse in Cambodia, called White Linen, run by an anti-trafficking ministry, was now up and running. Through this, jobs have been created for women who had been rescued from prostitution, giving them new skills in hospitality and food & beverage, and as a result, a new lease of life.

 

When we received pictures and updates of the new guesthouse, and how girls were being trained in hotel management, waitressing and English, we were amazed. We looked at each other- with forty-thousand dollars, we could have furnished our house, gone on a luxurious honeymoon, maybe even make a down payment for a car. But above and beyond all that our eyes could see, was something more. With this, lives were touched, changed, transformed. The money went further than we ever dared imagine.

 

“Do you know,” Cliff said, “that when we have kids, we could bring them to see this building and tell them that Mummy and Daddy contributed to this?” 

 

“You mean it’s like a… a legacy?” I paraphrased.

 

Without even knowing it, we realized we had been given the privilege of leaving what some people call a legacy behind. The word bore new meaning for us.

 

From the 2^nd wedding ceremony in Canada, we received $7’000 CDN, of which all has gone to a social enterprise in Calcutta called Touch Nature, which re-trains and employs ex-sex workers to help them stay out of their old trade which enslaves them and their families. They also support a children’s home, which provides the children of sex workers some protection, away from the vices of the red light district. 

 

“You know what’s strange?” Cliff said. 

 

“What?” I asked. 

 

“The cost of our wedding ceremonies in Singapore and Canada combined was probably that much money. But we spent so little.”

 

It amazed us, because we never had that amount of money on us in the first place. But through the blessings of friends and strangers, unexpectedly bizarre offers like our bridal studio allowing us to rent a new wedding gown to Canada at absolutely no charge at all or our wedding dinner venue owner waiving the venue cost completely so he could make a donation instead to the cause we were supporting… or Toronto Botanical Gardens saying they wanted to make a garden wedding and a reception happen for us with just a very small token fee… that was probably the extent of lavishness that God blessed us with, without us knowing.

 

Fifty-thousand dollars. Is that what weddings cost nowadays, or a down payment for a car?

We had been forewarned that it was a foolish thing to do- to give away the money we collected from our weddings to anti-trafficking ministries.  Having few savings and a life ahead to build together, many told us we were starting on the wrong foot. You should use it to cover costs from the wedding. It did sound like good counsel. Perhaps we could keep half the money for ourselves?

We were that close to missing out on God coming through for us. Don’t we sometimes forget, that God is one who risks all, and also, wants all. Obedience doesn’t come in half-portions or carefully rationed servings. We knew we had to give everything. We vacillated back and forth- it was not a straightforward decision.

But once that decision was made final, an open heaven of blessing rained down: weeks leading up to the first wedding, our wedding day photography, wedding venue, flowers, video, and my third picture book entitled “I love you” were all either partially or fully sponsored, by friends, family and even strangers. For the second ceremony in Canada with Cliff’s family and friends, which we dared not imagine was possible (we counted ourselves lucky if we could organise a barbecue at someone’s backyard), people offered to sponsor our air tickets to Canada, the caterer of Toronto Botanical Gardens took our budget sufficient to serve our guests only milk and brownies and turned it into a buffet of gourmet beef and zuchinni rolls, sandwiches, sushi and shrimp… It had always been my dream as a little girl to have a garden wedding (with horses included!), so when we found out that a stable was just a few minutes away for a photo shoot, we were utterly speechless. It was as if God had had it planned.

Looking back, we believe, that the decision to give fifty-thousand dollars away, unlocked something in the heavenlies which rained down fifty-thousand and more in return, in the most unexpected and unimaginable of ways. With a very, very small sum of money that we had, God had multiplied it and returned it manifold. He cared so much that He even remembered the secret prayer of a little girl. Blessing after blessing followed. When I married a missionary, people had warned me of a life of suffering, hardship and poverty. People had warned us that we were making radical and foolish financial decisions.

But we have never lacked. When we give up the little that we have, He pours out, abundantly, more than we could imagine..

We have never lived extravagantly, but we have been recipients of extravagant blessings.

 

We have goose bumps when we think about the number of times we were that close to choosing the more comfortable, convenient route, because we so badly wanted to hold on to our security. But I am thankful for a husband who always reminds me, “Always go all out for God.”

In total, we had received and given away fifty-thousand dollars from both our weddings. In turn, we received the privilege of seeing God at work in our lives and in the nations, and saw the impact it had made beyond our imagination. Fifty thousand dollars seems like a lot of money- we joke about what on earth it could have bought us had it been in our hands! A honeymoon, a car, vintage furniture, a branded watch or limited edition hand-bags- things that would rust, rot and fade away. But that same amount of money, in God’s hands, morphed into something eternal, transforming lives, healing hearts, things that our hands may never touch and our eyes may never see. In return, He blessed us more than we ever dared imagine. (Two weddings!)

 

For those of you wondering what to do with some savings you have, consider sowing into something eternal. Make the most radical decision in your life to give it away. For those of you planning to wed, think about this- when will you ever have the opportunity again to decide what to do with such a large amount of money and to set it aside for God? Consider asking Him what He wants you to do with what He has given you. When we give up and give in to God, He pours out, abundantly and extravagantly. I married a missionary, and we have never lacked.

Poverty, hardship, suffering, insecurity- these were what the world had cautioned me about the day I married “that missionary man”. Abundance, joy, freedom and absolute faith and security in the arms of a man who fully trusts God to provide, are all that I have experienced, as we lay in ease and comfort, cradled in the arms of a loving and strong God, who is able to provide for all our needs, above and beyond what we have ever dared ask for.

 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

–          Matt. 6:19-21

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

–          Matthew 6:33

 

With heartfelt thanks to all of you who have given us the privilege to give, and for being a blessing to others.

And to Sandra Bosscher for the beautiful photos.