I've always had a hard time bearing my testimony of tithing. It's not that I don't have one it's just that it's hard for me to share something that I can't prove. I want to say that I've received this blessing or that blessing from paying my tithing, but the thing is that it's hard to know which blessing is a result of what action. After all, obedience brings blessings, as President Monson taught in the April 2013 General Conference. Heavenly Father loves to bless us. He blesses us for every little bit of obedience that we show. It's easy to bear my testimony about tithing and point to monetary blessings. For example, when my husband and I were first married, we decided that we would always pay our tithing and that we would take it out when we deposited our money into the bank account; that is what we have done ever since. When we moved to Rexburg, we were somehow able to get by on $900 a month with $575 going to rent and another $200 going to bills, not including food. Mathematically, it doesn't make sense and looking back I can't say how we made it except that $90 every month went straight back to the Lord.
However, I have a hard time seeing blessings from tithing that aren't related to money. And in fact, any of the blessings that ARE monetary may not be a result of tithing either. In the end I suppose it doesn't really matter anyways. As long as we are faithful and obedient we will be blessed with the things that we need (though not the things we only THINK we need).
My tabs expired on my car in September and we were really bad about collecting the money to pay for the tabs and a new license plate (thank you Washington state). So we finally sent in the paperwork (including an out-of-state form for our smog test) late last Friday night. With Thanksgiving less than two weeks after we sent in the papers, we fully expected to receive multiple tickets upon our return to our home state for expired tabs. But today, only 5 business days later, we received the new license plates. I wish I could adequately express my gratitude for such a blessing! Despite my stupidity and my procrastination, Heavenly Father helped us out. I'd like to say that it is because we paid our tithing but I can't know for sure. And really, it doesn't matter. :)
