Elder Pratt tells us that "we are all indebted to the Lord."
When I was younger, probably in middle school or so, my family took a trip to Alberta, Canada to visit our relatives. While there, we made a stop at the "Real Canadian Wholesale Club" to pick up groceries.
In the check-out line, grandma said I could pick out a candy bar and she would buy it for me. I chose my favorite Canadian candy bar -- a Caramilk. Yummmm. And this was not normal size. It was Real Canadian Wholesale size! I was so excited to dive into it.
Once we got in the car, and I was quickly consuming my treat, my grandma leaned over and asked, "can I please have a piece of your candy bar?"
This question shocked me! COULD she have a piece of MY candy bar?? Well of course!! I said, "grandma, you bought me this bar! It is yours! You can have the whole thing if you want! Just tell me how much you want and I'll give it to you." She replied that she just wanted one square and that would be good. So I willingly have her that square.
This is a parable of tithing. Each day we walk through the "wholesale club" of life and Heavenly Father fills our cart with great things and hands us His credit card to pay. None of the things in the cart are ours. Heavenly Father owns them all because He paid for them.
But then, to check our faith, because Elder Pratt says, "tithing is not a matter of money really: it is a matter of faith -- faith in the Lord", He asks for some in return.
How selfish would I have been to refuse my grandma a piece of my Caramilk? Terribly! And so it is as we refuse to give back to Heavenly Father what is rightfully His.
I have a testimony of tithing because I have seen the blessings in my life. I know that paying a full tithe does indeed open the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing upon us (Malachi 3:10).
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