When God entrusts us with more than we need, the question is not simply “How can we preserve it?” or “How can we grow it?” The deeper question is, “What is this surplus for?”
That question moves stewardship beyond spreadsheets, tax strategies, and investment performance. It takes us into matters of the heart, family, calling, and purpose. And for many families, that is where stewardship becomes both more challenging and more meaningful.
Rachel McDonough, a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA®), Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), and author of The River and the Garden: A Story of Faithfully Stewarding Surplus, joined the show today to explore how Christians can think more deeply about stewarding wealth, especially when they have been entrusted with more than they need for provision.
Why Tell a Stewardship Story?
Rachel has spent more than 20 years crafting financial plans. So when her publisher first suggested she write fiction about stewardship, she was surprised. After all, much of the financial world is built around practical tools, frameworks, and step-by-step guidance.
But Rachel came to see that a story can reach places a spreadsheet cannot. That matters because real families do not fit neatly into formulas. They bring different perspectives, fears, desires, wounds, and hopes to the table. And when money is involved, especially significant money, those relational dynamics often come to the surface.
That is part of what makes The River and the Garden unique. It is not a technical manual. It is a parable about wealth, family, faith, and the purposes of God.
The River, the Garden, and the Craig Family
The novel follows three generations of the Craig family.
Maddie, the grandmother and matriarch, has come into a surplus after the sale of a family business. Her son Roger is analytical, driven, and accustomed to solving problems through strategy and optimization. Willow, Maddie’s granddaughter, is a young artist who wants little to do with money, numbers, or spreadsheets.
Together, they begin a journey that takes them through overlooked neighborhoods in Dallas and even to Rwanda as they explore investment and giving opportunities. Along the way, they wrestle with a central question: What does it look like to steward a surplus faithfully?
The imagery of the book is simple but powerful. The river represents capital. The garden represents what we choose to water, cultivate, and grow.
That image reframes the way we think about money. Capital is not neutral. It does not merely sit still in an account. It flows somewhere. It waters something. And the faithful steward must ask whether those resources are flowing toward purposes that honor God and serve others.
When Capital Becomes Stagnant
One of the most striking scenes in the book comes through one of Willow’s dreams. In it, she sees dark, stagnant pools of water—a picture of capital left unattended.
Rachel says that the image should unsettle thoughtful Christians for at least two reasons.
First, capital never truly stands still. We may think of it as simply “sitting” in an investment account, but it is always connected to something. It may be funding businesses, industries, practices, or systems that either contribute to human flourishing or diminish it.
Second, surplus wealth needs a purpose. Investing for provision is good and right. Families should plan wisely, save diligently, and seek to provide for their needs. But when a family has more than enough for provision, the conversation should expand.
