Giving Scraps to God

John and Jan’s Remarkable Story of Generosity

Some love stories start in a coffee shop or over dinner. John and Jan’s began in a tree.

On leave before heading to Vietnam, John was trimming branches at a campground when he spotted a pretty counselor walking by.

“I yelled down some goofy statement,” remembers John with a laugh. “She looked around and said, ‘Who, me?!’”

“So that’s how it all started,” affirms Jan, playfully rolling her eyes.

More than 50 years, four children, and seven grandchildren later, John and Jan have learned a simple truth: when you place your life and whatever scraps you have into God’s hands, He can use them for something beautiful.

Early in their marriage, John launched a trucking company hauling scrap metal around Chicago. Before long, someone approached him with an unexpected offer.

“I need someone to run my business,” John recalls him saying. “Would you consider selling your equipment and coming to be my general manager?”

With Jan’s blessing, John said yes, launching a lengthy career in the scrap metal industry. Meanwhile, Jan taught academically talented students in a suburban school.

“It was a real problem,” quips John. “She spent all day teaching high ability kids, then she had to come home and deal with me.”

From the beginning, John and Jan gave faithfully from whatever resources they had.

“We were young, we were broke, but we both were raised in homes where our parents were believers and generous with God’s work,” says Jan. “Early on, I think God was kind of testing us to see if we would be faithful, even in the hard times.”

Time and again, they found you can’t outgive God. Over time, He entrusted them with more and more resources.

Rather than investing in the market, they purchased farmland, beginning with 50 acres adjacent to their scrap business.

“It started out as a buffer so no one would build too close to us,” explains Jan.

“Then I thought I’d start farming as a hobby,” adds John. “We kept buying more land and equipment, and next thing you know, that ‘hobby’ grew into an entire second business.”

As their resources have grown, so have their opportunities to give.

With the help of Barnabas Foundation, John and Jan have set up a Stewards Fund (Christian donor-advised fund) through which they give to their church and a variety of other ministries.

“It’s very helpful,” explains Jan. “We tell Barnabas Foundation where we want our gifts to go, and they take care of it.”

They also used real estate to establish a life-income gift. It’s a tax-wise giving arrangement that provides income for their family today while ensuring their favorite ministries will continue to receive support, well beyond their lifetimes.

“One thing we appreciate about Barnabas Foundation is that we know they will continue to watch over our money when we are gone,” says Jan. “We know our gifts will only go to organizations that we would approve of. That’s big for us.”

Now, all these years later, John and Jan’s story has come full circle. They’re living out retirement in a home by the lake, in the very campground where they first met.

They don’t point to a business strategy, real estate decision, or lucky break as the source of their blessings. Instead, they point to God’s faithfulness.

John spent his career turning scraps into something valuable. He and Jan see that God was doing the same thing all along.

“Only God,” says Jan, marveling at His goodness. “There’s no other way to explain it.”

“Yes,” agrees John. “I could never have planned this out; I’m just not that smart. She might be, but I’m certainly not!”

—

This content is written as part of Generosity Today (2026, Issue 3).