Firstfruits

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." -- Proverbs 3:9-10

Being a grown up and earning money. First payday!

Today, I got my very first salary. It has been quite the momentous event and have in fact, reached quite a milestone. And there really isn't much that I can do except praise God for his faithfulness. I mean, I wouldn't even have a salary if it wasn't for Him placing me in this school. I assure you, the unsettling feeling hasn't completely left me yet, but the "veterans" have not lacked in helping us newbies feel welcomed and settled in. God has done SO much in my life already in just the past week. My only response, truly, is gratitude.

I always intended to give my firstfruit to my parents - they are after all, the ones who have gone through my troubles with me and I'm certain that it wasn't easy for them to work for more than half their lives just to have the last of the bunch (me) finally finish college. Add to that the fact that the college that I ended up choosing isn't particularly cheap. I tried to help. I thought that if I maybe tried my hardest, then my academic performance would qualify me to become a merit scholar and therefore allow my parents to keep some of the money that they were about to continue investing in mine. Tuition wasn't - isn't - cheap and having sent 3 kids in private schools have taken a lot from them.

I don't want to say that I owe them - because I don't want to imply that my parents did what they did just because they were legally obligated to do so. Instead, I am immensely grateful to them. I know. We've had a lot of ups and downs, and half the time we're not communicating. But please, I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate everything that you've done for me. Sobra-sobra na nga eh. (Dear parents, the reason why I insist on being independent is because I don't want to burden you anymore.) 

To me, giving them my first salary doesn't even come close to all of the things that they've done for me - whether I wanted them to do it or not. 

I appreciate and I love you both, and I only pray that my work doesn't just bring me joy but that it could be something that you might actually be proud of. I know that my salary deserves to go to God as well, but I figured, God has ministered to me a lot through my parents. I know that there's no substitute to personally giving it to Him. I may be giving the money to my parents, but to You, O God, do I offer up my efforts. I pray that this offering my be pleasing in Your eyes and that You may be glorified.

And I thank You everyday.