by Alicia Peak

 

When my husband Todd and I went on our first date, he had a list of “must haves” in order for us to go on a second date. One of those was being a Christian. I told him I attended church some of the time. He knew that I had much to learn about the Lord. He jumped right in on the importance of trusting and obeying the Lord through tithing. I have a servant’s heart, and in our home, we joke that Todd makes the money and I give it away. One of my favorite Bible verses is Malachi 3:10, where we read, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. ‘Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it’” (NIV). God says that everything belongs to him, it’s not mine to keep or trust in. God challenges me to test him, to try to outgive him. He then promises me that he will “throw open the floodgates of heaven.” Have you ever tried to outgive God in your time, talents, and treasure? You can’t.

As we began having children it was important to us that our children always had opportunities to serve others—no matter their age. The apostle Paul instructed his young son in the faith, Timothy, with these words: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12, NIV).

 

Small Opportunities and Big Celebrations

Todd and I began with small opportunities for our children to serve. I would sign up to take friends and even strangers a meal and the girls would help prepare the meal or draw a card for me to take to them. God has brought many opportunities before us to serve as a family. Our children have served at Build the Walls, Hands 2 Hope, Chrysalis Diaper Bank, Do Good Mission, and now they are helping in our church’s children’s and coffee ministries, annual cookie baking, serving alongside me at our prom for adults with special needs, “Night to Shine,” The Great Hunt, Feast for Friends, Little Angels, and stuffing bears for our “Bears ministry”—and they jump in whenever help is needed. Outside our church, I also serve on the leadership team of Moms on Mission, and all of our children serve with A Child’s Hope and the retirement community Otterbein SeniorLife.

When our firstborn, Abigail, turned five, we added new traditions of giving back to God that would last for generations. On big birthdays (ages 5, 10, 13, 16, and 18), we would have a BIG party giving back to God. We pray months prior, asking God to specifically lead our hearts to give where he is calling us. We ask guests to bring gifts for that specific giveback. Over the years our kids have had a toy drive; raised money to purchase animals for families in third-world countries to have both food and an income; sunglasses and hats for pediatric cancer patients in El Salvador; the local animal shelter; a food drive for the local food pantry; baby items for a local pregnancy center; collecting items for “the little old ladies” who sew bears together for His Hands Ministry; and raised money to send Bibles to Africa. This past year we decided grown-ups needed to participate too. Todd was having a big birthday and headed on another mission trip to El Salvador. He raised money to help support the ABLE Ministries clinic that offers physical therapy to those with special needs in that country. This year we will celebrate three big birthdays in our family—including mine. Prayers and ideas are already swirling!

 

Serving in the Here and Now

The fondest serving memory our children still talk about today took place in 2020. It was our 10-year anniversary, and a couple years earlier God called me to go on a mission trip with Todd to the country that stole a part of his heart years earlier, El Salvador. Each time Todd arrives in El Salvador, he sends me a picture of his boots with the words, “boots on the ground.” One evening in September I couldn’t sleep, and God started talking to me. God told me that just because I couldn’t go to El Salvador (right now) didn’t mean that we shouldn’t have our boots on the ground loving the people here. Continuing to listen, I asked, “How?”

 

God simply replied, “Food.”

 

I asked, “What?”

 

God simply replied again, “Pizza.” I chuckled asking where. God again replied with, “Cincinnati.”

 

God knows I love to serve others and I do love to serve through food. There was no way I could sleep now! God provided connections with local missions in Price Hill, BLOC Ministries, who provided us space in front of a church building they own. Connecting with Revive City Church who uses the building, I wanted people in Price Hill to have a church to call home. I connected with Papa Johns who sold me pizzas at an extra discount. God provided financially through us, Thrivent, and friends.

On October 24, 2020, there was so much excitement in the air. We set up shop and waited. I didn’t have a plan as to how people would know we were there! Why? Because during the planning God reminded me my job was to make the event happen and he would bring the people—just like he did when Noah built the ark, and God brought the animals when it was time. And let me tell you—he brought the people! We created traffic jams. We were slingin’ pizzas and waters at people. Yelling, “Free pizza!” Our children had so much fun, loving others through a simple act of obedience in which God was calling me to live open-handed. God placed me, Karen Salyers, and Katie Davis (who served on her birthday) all together that day. Only God knew what he was stirring in our hearts, to serve others for Thanksgiving that following month. God had more than just pizza planned on that chilly morning. And he has more stirring in my heart from that giveback.

 

Your Time, Talents, and Treasure

God is calling us all to live more open-handedly for his kingdom. If you missed our senior pastor’s message on this last weekend, you can check out that teaching here. People in our church, community, state, country, and world are still in need.

 

Time: How can you prioritize your day in a way that allows you to love like Jesus?

“Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV).

 

Talents: Ask God to reveal your talents to you and how you can use them to glorify him. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10, NIV).

 

Treasure: Where can you give, not out of your overflow, but out of your need?

“‘As surely as the Lord your God lives,’ she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.’

Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land”’” (1 Kings 17:12-14, NIV).

 

Let’s serve like Jesus did! What are you waiting for?

 

Alicia Peak has been serving God since 2001. She is married to Todd, and lives on a small farm, where they homeschool their six Peaklets.