this is really silly, but oh well. you know those sneaky, wispy little white hairs that pop up from time to time on random places on your body? you know how they sometimes grow unnoticed to be like 6 inches long before they catch your eye? c'mon somebody! well i think that's one of God's many ways of making sure that we laugh at ourselves and don't put too much stock in perfecting our outer looks.
just sayin'.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
sacrifice?
as a former college athlete, i often catch myself daydreaming about the "glory days" of playing soccer in my prime. sometimes at night, i even wake myself up kicking after scoring a goal (or more often hitting the post). the other day, i was remembering some of my teammates and for some reason i was asking myself who i admired most out of all of them. and a very unlikely character came to mind. she wasn't the fastest or the most talented, or the most outspoken, or the most popular, or the funniest. but i think i realized she may have sacrificed the most to play on the team. i never thought about it much then, but looking back on it, i have come to admire her.
her name was halima. i didn't know her very well, and come to think of it, i don't know if anyone did. she was very quiet and reserved, and i didn't make much effort to get to know her since i was comfortable with my friends. i regret that. but what i remember was that almost every practice, to put it very simply, she threw up. every so often she would leave the field and come back a few minutes later and resume practice. she never made a big deal about it, and the only reason i knew was because i think i remember my coach using her as an example one time of dedication. she wasn't a weenie, she just had a very sensitive stomach. so much so that strenous exercise caused her to vomit. often.
my tendency would have been to make that an excuse as to why i couldn't be an athlete. or at the very least why i couldn't run as hard as everyone else. i would have shrunk back every time the queasiness came on. but she didn't. she was probably the hardest worker on our team. she had one pace.... 100%. she never gave anything less. and what's more is that she wasn't even a starter. she put in all that hard work just to have a spot on the bench in hopes of some playing time. there's no way i would've made that sacrifice!
come to think of it, i can't remember too many times in my life when i have truly sacrificed anything! my life has been pretty comfortable for the most part. i was a natural student and athlete. i certainly wasn't the best, but i didn't have to try very hard to be close to the top. i got scholarships and grants that paid for college. my parents and then my husband have taken care of me financially, so i've never really had to worry about basic needs. i've always tithed to my church, but never given til it hurts. i usually do what i want to do with my money, energy, and time and then give to others from what's left over. i will help out if it fits in with my schedule. i'm happy to return favors but rarely initiate them. and i have never run or worked out so hard that i threw up..... not once.
so i've been asking myself what could drive someone to give of themselves that way? halima, if you're out there, feel free to comment and answer this mystery for us. i will take a stab at it though. my guess is either love of the game, or desperation, or both. i am reminded of a couple stories in the Bible where people gave in this manner.
the first is the familiar story of the poor woman in Mark 12:41-44. "Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.'" she demonstrated her love for God in her offering. she gave when it didn't make sense to give. she was desperate, but knew God was her only hope for provision.
when have i given something i couldn't afford to give? how many times have i given from my excess and then labeled it a sacrifice?
and then i am reminded of the integrity of king david in 1 Samuel 24. a man named araunah was offering to give him a piece of land in order to build an altar to the Lord. "But the king replied to Araunah, 'No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.'" (vs. 24) his love for God caused him to go out of his way to pay for the sacrifice, even when it wasn't necessary.
how many times have i given to the LORD my God sacrifices that cost me nothing?
i want to love God and give of myself passionately. i want to experience the desperation of sacrifice so that i can know the joy of His provision. i want to give from poverty and not from excess. i want to love God first and all else last. i want to LIVE this life instead of reserve it. "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10
her name was halima. i didn't know her very well, and come to think of it, i don't know if anyone did. she was very quiet and reserved, and i didn't make much effort to get to know her since i was comfortable with my friends. i regret that. but what i remember was that almost every practice, to put it very simply, she threw up. every so often she would leave the field and come back a few minutes later and resume practice. she never made a big deal about it, and the only reason i knew was because i think i remember my coach using her as an example one time of dedication. she wasn't a weenie, she just had a very sensitive stomach. so much so that strenous exercise caused her to vomit. often.
my tendency would have been to make that an excuse as to why i couldn't be an athlete. or at the very least why i couldn't run as hard as everyone else. i would have shrunk back every time the queasiness came on. but she didn't. she was probably the hardest worker on our team. she had one pace.... 100%. she never gave anything less. and what's more is that she wasn't even a starter. she put in all that hard work just to have a spot on the bench in hopes of some playing time. there's no way i would've made that sacrifice!
come to think of it, i can't remember too many times in my life when i have truly sacrificed anything! my life has been pretty comfortable for the most part. i was a natural student and athlete. i certainly wasn't the best, but i didn't have to try very hard to be close to the top. i got scholarships and grants that paid for college. my parents and then my husband have taken care of me financially, so i've never really had to worry about basic needs. i've always tithed to my church, but never given til it hurts. i usually do what i want to do with my money, energy, and time and then give to others from what's left over. i will help out if it fits in with my schedule. i'm happy to return favors but rarely initiate them. and i have never run or worked out so hard that i threw up..... not once.
so i've been asking myself what could drive someone to give of themselves that way? halima, if you're out there, feel free to comment and answer this mystery for us. i will take a stab at it though. my guess is either love of the game, or desperation, or both. i am reminded of a couple stories in the Bible where people gave in this manner.
the first is the familiar story of the poor woman in Mark 12:41-44. "Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.'" she demonstrated her love for God in her offering. she gave when it didn't make sense to give. she was desperate, but knew God was her only hope for provision.
when have i given something i couldn't afford to give? how many times have i given from my excess and then labeled it a sacrifice?
and then i am reminded of the integrity of king david in 1 Samuel 24. a man named araunah was offering to give him a piece of land in order to build an altar to the Lord. "But the king replied to Araunah, 'No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.'" (vs. 24) his love for God caused him to go out of his way to pay for the sacrifice, even when it wasn't necessary.
how many times have i given to the LORD my God sacrifices that cost me nothing?
i want to love God and give of myself passionately. i want to experience the desperation of sacrifice so that i can know the joy of His provision. i want to give from poverty and not from excess. i want to love God first and all else last. i want to LIVE this life instead of reserve it. "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10
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