Child trumps missionary

In our fundraising efforts, my wife and I have been met with many reasons for a person not to give. A lot of the time it comes down to your (purported) basic lack of money. Despite being the most wealthy nation in the world, with an insane amount of resources, we can always find something new to spend our raise on other than Kingdom work. The newest video iPod (or fandangled up-and-coming iPhone), a larger house, a newer car. Our options seem limitless, and we’ll buy on credit if we don’t get the raise.

One of the more common excuses related to a lack of money is a new child in the family. Admittedly, I can’t (yet) relate to the expenses surrounding the birth of a child (to my wife’s chagrin). The idea, however, does scare me quite a bit; it seems like a very significant expenditure on a partially-supported missionary salary. However, we are commanded to fill the earth. And even if we weren’t commanded, the wiring in women everywhere would see to the perpetuation of the human race (thankfully).

We have plenty of friends with children who give to our service at M-DAT, but I was reminded recently, again, of how expenses related to the birth of a child prevents people from giving. How can a missionary tactfully respond to such a situation? Is there any viable response other than “OK?”

By no means am I coming down on people for having kids, and each family’s giving circumstances are different — their abilty to give and their desire (or lack thereof) to give. If missions giving is a priority, people will find a way to give regardless of other expenses. This post, in reality, is probably venting certain frustrations as much as anything.

My apologies; I usually try hard to steer away from this kind of teen angst!