This week many of us will be receiving a stimulus check, designed to help us through this current crisis.

We didn't ask for the pandemic, and we didn't necessarily ask for the financial gift. But there it lands, in the mail or as a direct deposit to our account.

For some, this gift will help put food on the table or help pay rent for another month.

For others, it's a gift that is appreciated but not critical for survival.

We invite you to pray about how you might steward this gift.

Minimally, we hope you will give a tithe to your local church. A tithe reminds us that it's God's money, not ours.

This is a challenge we are presenting to ourselves, too. Not a guilt trip, but an invitation to open our hearts and resources to others in this time of crisis.

After tithing, our plan is to create a personal Generosity Account that we can tap into in the months ahead to bless others.

Obviously, for those in a world of hurt from this horrific virus, this gift will help meet personal needs and financial obligations.

If this crisis has had little impact on your bottom line, prayerfully consider how you might bless others with this gift.

It may be a family member, a neighbor, your church, a young family without a current breadwinner, a food bank, or a host of other organizations providing frontline support.

God may prompt you to buy something for yourself or to hire someone to help you with a need. Buying from or employing others can certainly be a real way of answering the prayers of others, too.

Again, let God direct you/us. Pray it forward.