Nice & New Is Flawed & Fatal

Last weekend Austin & Meagan came home to attend a wedding just north of here. They've had a lot of those lately, weddings to attend that is. We're not complaining because we get to see them when they're in town. They always find a way to spend a night or two at our house, which we love. It's pretty crowded around here when they stay, but we don't mind. We don't think they mind either, but for the fact they have to sleep together in a twin trundle bed (the girl's room) which makes for a really bad night of shut-eye. Never do they gripe about it, but just endure for the sake of having the chance to be together as a family.

On Friday morning Austin and I went out for breakfast and we had a memorable father-son time together. We get those one on one times on the telephone, but they're not the same as being face to face. I sure love that guy. We got to talking about a number of different things, but eventually ended up on the topic of money and ways we should be spending God's resources lavishly poured out on us. My counsel to him was to make sure that he try to find a way to invest into things that constantly starred him in the face and demand sacrifice. Those could reveal themselves in various forms, whether by way of adoption, living in a home and opening it up to others in need to live with you, driving a beat up car knowing you could have a nicer one but using the saved cash to give to the poor, etc... We haven't always lived that example out to our own children, but God's worked on us in our later years and feel He's convicted us in this way, and also changing our living habits.

You know, money was always a hardship for me. Not in the sense that I struggled to get it, but I struggled to let go of it. I've been a hoarder. I remember as a child earning money and never spending it. It made me happy just to have it, but I never wanted to use it on anything. To this day it takes me forever to make a decision about how to spend the money God's given to us. I also always wanted my things to stay perfect. In fact, I'd buy something and not use it because I didn't want it to lose that new look and feel. And you know what else? I've been a poor giver. We have more than we need, but letting go was always a challenge.

But miraculously, and I mean miraculously, He's really released me from this bondage. In fact, I was telling Austin at breakfast that I feel our house is really used up these days. The floors are all scratched from the dog and all the kids, the painted walls are dirty from Poppy and Willow climbing all over them, the cabinet doors are loose from being opened and shut a gazillion times, the grout in the shower is old, stuffs broken, you know... life wears things down. Probably sounds like we live in a beat up old shack, but it's far from that. All of that worn out stuff used to really bother me because I wanted to get it fixed up and look like new again, but now I look at these things and sort of smile inside. Now when I see things tired and beat up, I'm thankful that God's not only given me the gifts, but that they're being used up for something much greater than preservation. The older I get the more I realize that all of my efforts to keep things nice and new are flawed and fatal. These things shall pass, but people using these things will live eternally.

I hope my children are more sacrificial with "their" things than I have been, and will start at an early age learning the age old truth from Jesus Himself, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35b)

Giving not to receive,