Yahweh’s Money®️: The Crossroads of Religion & Money

Silent Era Stewardship: Navigating Caregiving, Inheritance, and Financial Secrecy w. Rev. Mitchell Tull

• Crusaders for Change, LLC • Season 4 • Episode 94

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In this episode of Yahweh’s Money, we’re talking real faith, real caregiving, and real stewardship. I sat down with my father, Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr., to unpack the emotional, financial, and spiritual weight of supporting aging parents — especially when money wasn’t openly discussed in their generation.

From navigating the traditions of the Silent Era to coordinating long-term care, inheritance, and family obligations, we explore how caregiving becomes a ministry of obedience, sacrifice, and honor. Together, we talk about the faith required to support elderly parents, the financial realities of long-term care, and the importance of preparing the next generation with clarity instead of secrecy.

You’ll Discover:

  • How secrecy around finances created generational gaps in knowledge, planning, and inheritance.
  • Why prayer, obedience, and Scripture become essential tools for caregiving decisions (not just budgeting).
  • From medical bills to emotional labor, how caregiving impacts finances, careers, and health — especially for the Sandwich Generation.
  • How open communication protects families from confusion and conflict around wills, assets, and long-term care plans.
  • Why Scripture frames caregiving as obedience and legacy, not just responsibility.

Featured Scripture:

1 Timothy 5:8 — “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Action Step:

This week, take one practical and spiritual step toward intergenerational financial clarity:

 • Research average assisted living or in-home care costs in your city
 • Review your parents' (or your own) long-term care plans
 • Spend time in prayer asking God for wisdom, provision, and peace as a caregiver

Small steps today make stewardship — not secrecy — the family legacy!

Send us a text

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Our podcast is proudly sponsored by Crusaders for Change, LLC (C4C) and hosted by our CEO and Founder, Mrs. Shay Cook. At C4C, we provide customized corporate financial wellness programs for businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Our services are tailored to create happier, healthier, and more productive work environments. We also empower individuals and couples to overcome debt, improve their credit, boost savings, and more. Ready to learn more about how C4C can impact your life? Contact us today at https://www.crusaders4change.org/!

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Music by: Lamonte Silver - Owner of essentialmusicclub.com | Previously by ROA - roa-music.com

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:00:02]:

The grown folk act grown and you act as a child, you were in the child's place. That's where you stayed. You didn't question them about how much they made. And I mean, you did do a comparison with other folk in the neighborhood. Don't get me wrong. You know, there were people who were, who were more well off. Other people was more balanced financially, but you didn't question it because if you wasn't hungry, then you would. You didn't worry about food as long as you had clothes.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:00:29]:

You didn't worry about clothes. You know, you did look at people who dressed better, but they had no effect on you. As long as you had heat, as long as you had food, you know, as long as you had love, you didn't question nothing else about that.

Shay Cook [00:00:43]:

Ever felt those awkward vibes? When religion and money come up, you're not alone. Welcome to Yahweh's Money, the podcast where we tackle the crossroads of faith and finance. I'm Shay Cook, an accredited financial counselor and the CEO and founder of Crusaders for Change, LLC. Join us on our journey as we discuss topics like tithing, saving and conquering debt through religious perspectives.Let's get started. 

Shay Cook [00:01:08]:

Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Yahweh's Money. Today, we're talking about the silent era of stewardship, navigating caregiving, inheritance in the financial secrecy with none other than my father, Reverend Mitchell Tull, so I'll be introducing him soon. But many of us are part of the Sandwich generation, which simultaneously means raising families and caring for aging parents. This can be complex, especially when our parents belong to the Silent generation, a time when discussing money was taboo. Today we're talking about the financial and spiritual realities of caring for elderly parents, dealing with the lack of financial literacy passed down, and how faith guides us through the difficult transition of long term care and inheritance. We'll explore how a diligent, faith filled steward of both your parents well-being and their limited resources.

Shay Cook [00:02:12]:

So today our main scripture comes in 1 Timothy 5:8 anyone who does not provide for their relatives and especially for their own household has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. This verse underscores the biblical mandate for family care. While often applied to children, it carries profound weight in caregiving. Providing for our elderly parents, whether it's financially, physically or spiritually, is not just an act of love, but a core demonstration of our faith and a critical component of intergenerational financial stewardship. So today I have the privilege the honor to have back for a second time, Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. A decorated 22 year old.

Shay Cook [00:02:57]:

22 year old? Yeah, he ain't 22 year old, guys. He's way older than that. But he's my father, army veteran retiree and an ordained reverend who serves in prison and marriage ministries. A husband of 47 years plus years, a father, three adult children, grandfather of six and now a retired engineer of the federal government at the Pentagon and beyond. An avid golfer, I added in there. My father, Mitchell Tull. Hey, dad, how you doing?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:03:26]:

Good evening. Good evening, everyone. God bless you. I'm doing just fine. Just, just standing by waiting to be a participant in this podcast.

Shay Cook [00:03:34]:

Awesome. Awesome. So tell us more about yourself.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:03:37]:

Well, as you said, I retired last week. I believe it was last week. So I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do to myself and how I'm supposed to act as a retired person. And I did do 22 years in the military and 13 years federal contractor and 15 years as a civil servant. And I have over 51 years of service. And I'm thankful to be healthy enough to enjoy a few days as a retired person. And I'm thankful to have such great, wonderful children and grandchildren. And I'm just thankful that's who I am.

Shay Cook [00:04:10]:

Yeah, you're blessed. And you're also sharing with us today your personal experience of caring for your elderly mother, my grandmother, who is 93, 4. How old is she?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:04:19]:

94.

Shay Cook [00:04:20]:

94. She'll be 95 this year, right?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:04:23]:

Yep.

Shay Cook [00:04:24]:

Yeah. So she's part of the silent generation. So we're going to talk about those lessons learned, the lessons learned in all our generations here reflected here. My dad is you're a baby boomer, I'm generation X. But we got the Z ers, the millennials, all of them representing our family that we're caring for. So thank you for joining us, dad.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:04:41]:

You're welcome.

Shay Cook [00:04:42]:

All right, let's get into our rapid fire question.

Rapid Fire Questions Jingle [00:04:47]:

Take your seat. Let the wisdom inherit hit the rapid fire questions say what's on your spirit? Take your seat. Let the seat wisdom inherit. Let’s hit the rapid fire questions and say what's on your spirit?

Shay Cook [00:05:14]:

So first question, what is the single biggest difference between the way your parents viewed money, the silent era, and the way you approach finances today, Dad?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:05:24]:

Well, I think the way my parents viewed money was, it was all essential. They didn't have the, the different avenues as we have today. My parents was more, more generational. In other words, it was a set value that you did with your money. You didn't do a lot of extra stuff. It wasn't a whole lot of other stuff going on, was just go to work, provide for your family. And that was pretty much it. They didn't share into any financial wisdom at all.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:05:51]:

And. But today it's, in my generation is a little different. You know, we have come a long ways because of the circumstances, situations of life for us, which is totally different than back during that time. So we, we have more of a variety, we can travel more. So finances is a greater thing these days than it was back in the day. They didn't make very much money then and the money they had, it was just on basic stuff for food and for a little bit of health product and that's all they had back in the day.

Shay Cook [00:06:21]:

Yeah, and they were more self sustaining too, right. They tended to the land and they, they made their clothes and all of that stuff right then. Right. You weren't really going to the store buying a lot of that, right?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:06:29]:

No, that's right. That's right. Because my grandfather had a farm and you know, and I'm trying to figure out the other day what did he actually do other than working on the farm and. But pretty much all he had a farm, he had mules, he had, you know, he had cows. And it was more of a sharecropping situation than anything else with my grandparents. My grandfather particularly.

Shay Cook [00:06:49]:

Gotcha. Yeah. All right. So if you could give one piece of financial advice to your parents generation, knowing what, you know now about caregiving, what would it be?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:06:59]:

Sharing some of the, some of the unknowns. See, my parents, they, they really didn't share any financial anything that, that, that was, that was uncomfortable. They didn't share none of that. They only shared what was comfortable for them. And so the advice I would give them, sit, sit down and talk to your children and, and talk about things that, that, that you uncomfortable with things that you didn't, that you didn't master. You know, they influenced us by what they could master, but things they couldn't master, they never talked about. It was like an embarrassment, I guess. But I would suggest that they would talk to their children about things that are hard to talk about.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:07:33]:

That's what I would suggest.

Shay Cook [00:07:35]:

That's good because, you know, there is a lot of shame and guilt and talking about anything from finances on. But I know even talking about stuff that I went through when I was working for the government, from EEO cases to, you know, sexual harassment, all of that. I know Alana heard me one day talking to her friend's mom and we were driving back from the house and she was like, why you never told me that? And I was like, you know what? Nate was like, you should have told her that because everything ain't easy. Right? So that comes from finances, dealing with people in the workplace, wherever, relationships, school. We should share the hard things because then they can prepare better for that.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:08:10]:

Exactly.

Shay Cook [00:08:11]:

I said the same to you guys when we were growing up. I was like, my dad, he's. he got some, you know, activist work and obviously service and all that. I would have learned to love to learn more about that, and I did as I was older. But I think it would have been even just as powerful, if not more powerful, if we had learned about it earlier on.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:08:27]:

Yeah, it's more of a grad graduational thing. It's more of a. It seems as though that the closer we get to. Down the road in aspect, we do share more. Before it was hard work and you didn't have time to elaborate. Children should be seen and not heard. It was that kind of thing. But.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:08:43]:

But nowadays they share more with children. They do more with the children than back in the day.

Shay Cook [00:08:48]:

And they have to, because social media tell you everything you know, so they think it will tell you everything. So you got to. You want to learn it from actual people that's gone through it. All right, our last question from a faith perspective. How did or do you balance the financial sacrifice of caregiving with saving for your own retirement? So having to take care of grandma and help out with your siblings with her, how did you balance that, if at all. 

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:09:11]:

With faith You're either all in or you're all out. I read the Word and I believe in the Word. So I still try to follow the Word to maintain that faith connection with God. I mean, it's just so important when it comes to balancing your finances or balancing your life or balancing your health is. To me, it's all about God. It's all about listening to the Word and, And following the Word and praying. When you get into hard situations, pray about it. That's what I do in my situations to ensure that it's a balance I want to stay close to.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:09:44]:

A lot of us are people pleasers. My understanding is that I. I want to please God. If I please God, then I. Then I've done all I'm. I'm required to do and everybody else can fall in line. That's how I balance finances. I balance my connection with God.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:09:58]:

It's just, it's to maintain that Word, keeping that word fresh in my mind. And in my heart, that's how I balance it.

Shay Cook [00:10:05]:

That's good. So obedience as well, right?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:10:07]:

Obedience. Exactly. To the Word.

Shay Cook [00:10:10]:

To the Word. All right, good. Let's get into the main discussion, y'all. So the Silent Era legacy. So there is a legacy that they passed on, and it's pretty much secrecy and the lack of financial literacy. A lot of, you know, like my dad is saying, they, you know, you're supposed to have been seen and not heard as a child. They didn't really share much of that with you.

Shay Cook [00:10:30]:

So how did that impact your caregiving journey? Dad, I know now you're in the Word and God, but as you were growing up, I mean, we already talked about a little bit more what they would have, should have shared their burden more, the uncomfortable stuff. But let's talk about that financial secrecy. They never told you how much they were making, did they? They never told you how much they were spending. And all of that, Right. All of that was secret. You just knew that you had clothes, you had food and a house.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:10:55]:

So in other words, the grown folk act grown and you act as a child, you were in the child's place. That's where you stayed. You didn't question them about how much they made. And I mean, you did do a comparison with other folk in the neighborhood. Don't get me wrong. You know, there were people who were. Who were more well off. Other people was more balanced financially, but you didn't question it because if you wasn't hungry, then you would.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:11:21]:

You didn't worry about food. As long as you had clothes, you didn't worry about clothes. You know, you did look at people who dressed better, but they had no effect on you. As long as you had heat, as long as you had food, you know, as long as you had love, you didn't question nothing else about that.

Shay Cook [00:11:37]:

That's good. And so sounds like you were pretty prepared then when you had to step up after your dad passed, my grandfather passed and you started helping grandma more. I mean, obviously you had your siblings, but did you feel prepared?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:11:48]:

I did, because we knew when dad was sick and dad had stayed away from the house for about six months. We knew at that moment that we had to step up. You know, God had already placed my brother right across the street, so which was a. That was a prepared thing. He was already there before my dad passed. And so, yes, and it was. It was four of us who were living, but we knew that we had to help our mom because my mother is sort of a high maintenance person. Know so she requires a certain level of care.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:12:18]:

And God had already prepared us financially to assist. And that's what I'm saying with the question that you asked before about balancing with faith and finances and all that, all that worked out for the, for the good. I mean, you recognize, you see the goodness, how God had already prepared you for the situation that He was going to put in front of you. And that's what we have to do. We have to see where He brought us from. Yeah, don't get hung up on what we did, but be thankful what He's doing for us. And He'd already prepared us for that. And, and so you tap into that preparedness so there's no surprises really.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:12:54]:

You don't get caught off guard. You know what the word says? It says, said the children should not have to prepare for the parent, but the parents should prepare for the children. But it doesn't mean that you shouldn't prepare. And God, He had already prepared us for the eventuality that mother would be there alone. And that's why we want to stay close to our faith. In life, we have a mission not just for us, but for all that's for humanity. We have a mission to help where we can help, to be a positive role model for whomever. We didn't always have that understanding because we were doing our own thing.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:13:28]:

We were young and immature. But as you mature, you find out that it's more than just about your little orbit, but it's about other orbits as well.

Shay Cook [00:13:35]:

Now, that makes sense. So what, what advice would you pass down to your three kids and learn from taking care of your mother?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:13:42]:

I would say that as long as you guys participate and we participate with you, as long as we can talk and keep the communications open, that's key. Don't get hung up on the negativity. Don't get hung up on bad situations, but keep the lines of communications open with your parents and, and with one another because we, we all here together, we all in this, we all in this mixing bowl together. You know, we need to be a part of each other's life all the time. And that way when the time come, you already know, you may have to, may have to sacrifice some of your, some of your assets. You may have to sacrifice some of your time because it's a requirement by the word of God that you should honor thy mother and father that thy days shall be long upon this earth. So I mean, if you're a believer, then you have to be all the way as a believer, not just a part time believer, but a full believer in the Word of God.

Shay Cook [00:14:33]:

Now that makes sense. And I agree. And you know, that goes good into the whole. The next cost of caregiving. Right? It's expensive caregiving, the medical bills, I mean, and we're not even talking about the financial piece. But not only the financial piece, but the time, the emotional labor, the career sacrifices, having to take off time. Some people have to totally quit their job because they have to become full time caregivers. So did your military training or was it just.

Shay Cook [00:15:00]:

Or all the above military, life training, God prepare you for this caregiving journey?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:15:07]:

All of it, all of it is all relevant because as you step from age to age, you're, you assume more responsibility. And even in the military, we didn't go out into a situation without being prepared. You know, we always had to be prepared. Hopefully there was no major surprises. If there was, then we always had a ability to bounce back. And life is the same way is being prepared for the situations, being susceptible to help, to love, to care, to share. I mean that's what it's really all about. It's just being prepared for whatever comes on.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:15:43]:

You can't always, you don't know everything, but that's the way you can escape.

Shay Cook [00:15:48]:

Yeah, yeah. And then having things like long term care insurance, especially for those young ones out there. If somebody's offering you at 20, get it at 20 instead of 50 and 60. Where it's really expensive. Right. Having emergency savings, all of the savings, all of the investing that you can do because it is expensive and having good medical insurance, thank God. I mean I've never personally had to pay for medical insurance. I pay for it, but not at the rate that people have because my daddy always had, you know, the military and then I married a military guy, so, and he was medically retired.

Shay Cook [00:16:19]:

So I lucked out to, you know, having Tricare and not having to pay that thousand plus dollars a month, you know, not even a year have to pay that. So not everybody has that. But being able to be blessed those benefits is amazing. But it's expensive. It really is. Any advice on that with you know, having to cut back on certain things as you retire as you get older, you know, quality of living can't be as expensive as it was before because you're making less. What kind of conversations you and grandma had around that and it's hard to have those conversations.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:16:52]:

So let me say this, not only is she an elderly parent, but she's also a widower, which is a double whammy. And so, and the Bible specifically says, it says take care of the widows and orphans if they're children or if there are nephews. And if you don't do that, then you really don't have faith in God. So fortunately my mother has insurance. Fortunately, affordable healthcare came in and took away some of the financial burden that they had before because both my parents had preconditions and they were paying for the sec, for the, for the secondary insurance. They were paying $800 a month for secondary insurance. And then affordable healthcare came and it cut it in half.

Shay Cook [00:17:34]:

Nice.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:17:35]:

So, so God was working things out for her. And we still have four siblings that are still here. And, and we do burden some of the finances things. We do make sacrifices every, every weekend to be with her and, and even through the week. Then there's money that's being spent for the major items we pay for, property tax, those kind of things, any major appliances we do, the children do pay for those things and we have that understanding. It was a conversation that we had together to buy some things for her like washing machines and dryers and, and furniture, stuff like that. So we had that conversation pre my father's death. Any major finance endeavors that they had, we got together as children and we paid for those things for them.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:18:19]:

So, so we were already prepared to do what it takes for her. And one thing I want to say to you because we all human, we all make mistakes. You have to simply pray when you're dealing with your parent. You have to pray that, that what you do for them and your attitude and your disposition towards them is a godly thing. You have to pray about that. It's not one time that I go to the house on my way that I don't pray that I treat my mother as God would have me to treat her. I pray about that. And that's the connection of faith that we talked about earlier.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:18:54]:

It's a balanced thing that we have to pray and ask God to direct our attitude and our disposition towards our parents. But we do burden the finance some of the finances for her. Yes, we do.

Shay Cook [00:19:04]:

Yeah. And is it an emotional toll on anybody or and then how is it communicating hard conversations with grandma? I mean with anybody aging or even some young people. It's hard to talk to people around finances. How is that?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:19:18]:

It is because my sister in law does my mother's finances and, but she keeps us abreast as to that. Yes. And I do have, I had a conversation with mom this weekend about finances as far as buying groceries for her and buying food. And she offered to give give me her cards. Yes, there are conversations about finances with her and, and it's not hard because either she needs it or she don't. It's just cut and dry.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:19:43]:

We should have conversations with the aging parent to ensure that they're comfortable. And that's the whole key, is to ensure that they're as comfortable as possible. You know, make sure that their needs are met, basically met, or even greater than that. So, yes, there is an open conversation with our parent to ensure that they are comfortable where they are.

Shay Cook [00:20:04]:

Well, that's good. Cause I know some people have that I've worked with over the years. They got aging parents, they're taking care of them. They have to say no to their parents often. Right. They have to cut them off and all that. So it sounds like grandma.

Shay Cook [00:20:14]:

She's pretty fine with you guys. Handle that very well. She doesn't need to be told no. Often. She understands where she's with her finances are.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:20:23]:

Yeah, she does.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:20:24]:

She's. She's financially set. She.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:20:26]:

Well, she. She pays her own life insurance. So we. So that part is covered. She got her own burial situation. The plots all. All together. So, you know, eventuality.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:20:37]:

Yeah. Some things are taken care. Yes.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:20:39]:

There are not gonna be many surprises other than when she goes. It may be a surprise, but we know we. We're all gonna go one time or another. So that it's not really going to be a big surprise there.

Shay Cook [00:20:49]:

Yeah. No, that's good. All right. Let's talk about the spiritual test of inheritance, because I know people want to leave behind a legacy and inheritance to grandchildren or their children or somebody else, maybe to a charity. And unfortunately or fortunately, if you have assets, you have to use those while you're aging for all these things we were just talking about with my father. So. Versus having to preserve it for inheritance. I mean, that's what insurance is good for, right? To have that and maybe have some assets put away for that.

Shay Cook [00:21:17]:

But how do we use and trust in God's provisions to ease anxiety surrounding a depleting estate? Because, you know, once parent dies or someone, any of us die, we want to leave something behind. So have you and your siblings had that conversation about leaving behind any kind of inheritance or estate or just making sure she's taking care of why she's here?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:21:38]:

No, we've had that conversation. We. Once my father died, then we took him off the house because there was certain things she couldn't do because his name was still there. We did remove his name from the property and she has put our name on the property. So the house is going to be like a foregone conclusion in a sense where we know what we're going to do. She doesn't really have any other property, so other than just a house. I mean she has clothes and my sister in law is trying to divvy and some of that, but I don't know about that because I don't wear women's clothes. So I'm not worried about it.

Shay Cook [00:22:10]:

Okay.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:22:12]:

But as far as the house and property, we know she has a insurance policy and we're going to bury her right. She's going to have a little money left and we'll deal with that. And we always sit down and talk about it. We have family meetings with just the children. We discussed her heritage. But the, but the greater heritage to me is her family tree. And I talk to my mother on a regular basis about her mother, her father, her, her grandparents.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:22:38]:

And I talked to her on a regular. So that, that's the piece right there. Rather than financial. But, but as far as far as the legacy is concerned, I talked to her about, and we often talk about this, me, my mother, when we sit down and discuss about days going by and family who still left, parent, her dad, you know, we talk about that as I talked to my last uncle on my father's side and who I seen Saturday as well, we always talk about that. And so it's imperative that we ask those questions because once those people are gone, I mean, I know what you just did, what you just did with the heritage thing.

Shay Cook [00:23:14]:

Ancestry. Yeah. Getting our DNA testing.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:23:17]:

Yeah, that's a great thing. But, but to hear from the horse's mouth is one thing. But yes, we do sit down and we talk about and how we're going to divot out. And my mother just said to me Saturday, well, I guess y' all just going to close the house up. That's what she said.

Shay Cook [00:23:33]:

Does she have a will and testament so she can will it and say, this is what I want? Yeah, okay. She can make those decisions now. She can say, no, don't sell my property.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:23:43]:

But it's gonna be, it's gonna be up to us and what we're gonna do with it. I don't know. I'm gonna have 1/4 of the conversation. But even though I'm the oldest son, I'm the oldest son and I do, I do take that, that position sometimes. But we'll decide together on how we're going to take care of that. But pretty much we know what we're gonna do.

Shay Cook [00:24:00]:

Well, that's good. And what I'm hearing you say, and the lesson in this is you need to talk, communicate with your family members now why they here, why they're able, why they have the mind to have that conversation so, you know, to respect their last wishes, but also knowing that when they pass, you still got siblings, family members that are going to want a piece of something. So you need to make sure you have that conversation so you don't have to deal with that stress later on.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:24:26]:

Yes, exactly, exactly, exactly.

Shay Cook [00:24:28]:

That's good. And we also need be stewardships, you know, of the caregivers. When I worked for the military, a lot of times there was caregivers taking care of wounded warriors and so forth. And you hear the numbers. Is really sad that a lot of caregivers die before the person they're taking care of because they're not taking care of themselves. So how are you taking through all of this? I mean this has been what, 10 plus years? Granddad's been gone. Yeah, yeah. So that's a long time for you and your siblings to be in that caregiver role.

Shay Cook [00:24:58]:

So how are you navigating exhaustion and stress of elder care?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:25:01]:

Because it's four of us and we know that God supplies all our needs according to his riches and glory. He says He gives us everything for life and godliness, which, which is our direction. That's no big stress. Yeah. Yes, we do have to make sacrifices. She needs to go to the doctor. And now that I'm retired, and I just told my brother last week, I said, well, I'm going, I'm going to assist on some of her medical appointments. So I'm going to make, make sure that I, I as far as her care, you know, I'm going to assist in going down there, taking her to Salisbury for her appointments.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:25:34]:

And I look forward to that. In life, we should never sell ourselves short on our responsibility. We shouldn't assume that just because we do one thing, we shouldn't do two, you know, should always look for the, for the additional things that we can help, that we can assist because it's in your, it's in your DNA, you know, to, to love. The Bible says take every opportunity to do good, especially to those in household of faith. So you know, we look forward to, to being a helpmate and we look forward to caregiving for her. And I do, I look forward to that, you know, because it gives me a great pleasure when My mother's not. When she's not in harm's way, when she's happy or she has joy. Even though.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:26:13]:

Even though mother can be a handful sometimes, don't get me wrong, she can be a little bit of a handful, but you take the bitter with the sweet and you get involved in a care. So it's gonna be fine.

Shay Cook [00:26:25]:

And It's a blessing. 94 years. I mean, a lot of people ain't gonna see that, so that's a blessing.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:26:30]:

And my mother, she's taking care of herself. She's always taking good care of herself. She told me the other day that she went to the doctor and the doctor said the only thing wrong with her, she has a little problem with the kidneys because she needs to drink more water.

Shay Cook [00:26:42]:

No, that's it.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:26:43]:

Other than that, she has arthritis in the knees, but that's just natural. She's stiff, but internally, the only problem she has after that physical was just with her kidneys. Just need to drink more water. So she takes care of herself. She does. You know, she's get her hair done, she gets her nails and feet done. And you know, she gets. So she takes.

Shay Cook [00:27:01]:

She got some good genetics, obviously, too, right? So genetics play a huge part into that.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:27:06]:

You know, her dad was 90. Her dad was 99. 90 and mother was 89. They were in fairly decent health. And you can't get that old being in real, real poor health, you know. But so, yeah, she has genetics as well.

Shay Cook [00:27:18]:

And they didn't have the modern science that we have today to help with all that. So that's what she's living to, to be able to take care of all the elements that she's had, if she's had any, be able to take care of that with modern science. So. And then, of course, number one, God. God is blessing.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:27:34]:

God is number one. Plus my mother, she never was alcohol drinker, she was never a smoker, and neither was her parents. So my grandfather never drank. My grandmother never drank either. So all that was a part of, of that longevity is that, you know, not too much, not too much abuse to the body.

Shay Cook [00:27:51]:

Well, that's a lesson. All right, y'all.

Shay Cook [00:27:53]:

The average out of pocket cost for informal family caregiving in the US is nearly $7,000 per year. And I've seen that number way higher. However, more profoundly, 78% of family caregivers report routinely incurring out of pocket costs. And 49% of those working while caregiving had to leave their job, reduce their hours, or take a lesser paying position directly impacting their long term financial security. So caregiving is a profound faith driven ministry. When we provide care for our parents, we are honoring the commandment. Like my dad mentioned earlier, honor your father and mother. And we are enacting the highest form of family stewardship.

Shay Cook [00:28:33]:

This journey requires diligence, planning and a radical trust in God. We must break the cycle of financial silence by preparing our own families even as we honor those who came before us. All right, dad, any final thoughts?

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:28:47]:

I'll just say that we just simply need to follow the Word of God and make that a lifelong commitment. We need to be totally committed to the Word of God. Not just understanding that we can figure things out on our own and going with the grain, but if we apply everyday situations to the Word of God and we put total faith into God, He will direct us, He will order our steps, He will order our path. And when we get lost, He'll He helped to find us. We don't worry then. We just simply pray and just maintain that connection with God. And you know what? He's always going to lead us in the direction that He would have us to go. With our parents, with, with ourselves, with our children, grandchildren, whomever.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:29:30]:

So that, that's my final word. Just stay with God at all times. And David said, I would have fainted if I hadn't believed to have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust him with all your heart. Trust Him with your finances. Trust Him with your, with your awareness of life. Trust Him to do good, to take opportunity, look, look forward to doing, you know, I look forward to doing good for folk, I do. I go often to places and I, and I got an antenna that searches my environment where I am.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:29:59]:

And I'm looking to do good. There was a lady the other day, I was hoping she didn't have enough money so I could help pay for some things she needed, but so it's just looking to do good and God will lead you in the direction that he would have you to go. That's my, that's my thought pattern.

Shay Cook [00:30:13]:

Amen. We need more people like you on this earth, especially in the United States of America. All this stuff going on. So we appreciate you. We love you, dad. Thank you for this opportunity. Y'all, here's the last call to action. Please this week.

Shay Cook [00:30:25]:

Dedicate your efforts to intergenerational financial clarity. So from a practical standpoint, take one step toward understanding your parents or your own long term care plans. Research the average cost of a year in assisted living and in home care in your area and spiritually spend time in prayer. My dad said it. Spend time in prayer before all caregivers, asking God for the wisdom, energy and financial provision required to meet this sacred, demanding call. All right, dad, thank you again for joining us. We appreciate you. Love you. Thank you for your service.

Shay Cook [00:30:58]:

Congratulations on your retirement and everyone, we’ll see you soon.

Reverend Mitchell D. Tull Sr. [00:31:03]:

I love you. Shay.

Shay Cook [00:31:05]:

A big thank you for listening to this episode. We hope you found today's chat about the intersection of religion and money insightful. We would love to hear your feedback. Hit that subscribe button or follow the podcast. And please feel free to leave us a review. For the latest Yahweh's Money content, Visit us at crusaders4change.org or find us anywhere you listen to podcasts. Until next time, stay financially fit and spiritually inspired. And remember, it's always better Yahweh's way.



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Shay Cook

Host
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Reverend Mitchell D. Tull, Sr.

Guest