January 17, 2020

When a Sacrifice of Trust is the Big Ask - A Five Minute Friday post.

***

I know, you guys! I had high hopes that I would be so much more consistent, sitting here in this chair, in the New Year. 
The truth is, I've been battling some sort of something horrible (--a virus or attack on my sinuses, causing extreme pressure and pain... in other words --probably just a head cold with a lot of Extra!)  I recently just managed to write our monthly Newsyletter for January... yeah --in the middle of the month! (This is not a great sign, right? Still... my plan is to be here and to rebuild this Community this year!)
This is a Five Minute Friday post... which, as you should know by now, simply means I set a timer and free-write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: SACRIFICE... so this should be fun! Let's go!

{GO!}


Sacrifice... 



















In the Western church, this word isn't really highlighted, preached, or encouraged too much!  It's not hip or lit or fresh or whatever it is the cool kids are saying nowadays! (I know... I'm old now!) Basically, the reality is, it's just not sexy enough... besides --who wants to sacrifice anything anyway, right?

But here's the deal: 
Sacrifice is a big part of the Kingdom...
It's a big part of what we are called to do
and how we are called to live!
If Jesus was our example of how to live
(and He was/is! He definitely was/is!)
then Sacrifice should be a big part
of how we live our lives, too!

I know... but stick with me here. 
I'm not thrilled about it either!

There are ALL kinds of Sacrifices...
big and small,
throughout our days, that we are given
the opportunity to choose. 
But do we? 
Do we even notice them? 

(Chances are good if we do,
we are already living somewhat counter-culturally
and trying to be in tune with the Father!)

The Big ways are the ways we'd just rather not, right?
I mean... we can get all twitchy while reading about
the Church at her very beginning when it says in Acts
that the Body sold everything and had everything in common!
Literally --it was one big pot and no one went without!

So we can think of the bigger ways... of the bigger Asks.

Here's what I know --or at least, think I know-- about God:

He is kind and gracious...
He is a Gentleman and He starts small!
He asks us for small sacrifices...
He gives us small chances to choose Him and to follow His lead...
day after day after day...


Once we begin to walk in the ways of the Lord,
the Asks get bigger... sure!
They do.
Or maybe they don't?
or maybe we just don't notice or
don't weigh the cost like we used to!
Because once we are 'woke'
and we begin to offer up a sacrifice 
for the greater good of those around us,
(and those far away from us!)
we begin to get a more accurate,
more Kingdom perspective
and we remember that
Nothing this life has to offer us
is ever actually ours anyway!

We are to be living a life
that lends itself to Sacrifice... 
not to EARN anything, of course!
We could never...
But to walk in the shadow and the footprints
of the One who sacrificed all of Heaven and His life on earth,
so that we could live both here AND there!

Listen, Sweet Readers...
I'm a crazy faith girl.
I am... (Even still!)
   
My writings have already bent towards
Hope and Healing and Life and Love...
and even though we have had to learn a lot
about Sacrifice over the past few years...
even though my writing has been a bit heavier and harder...
Hope and Faith and Love still abide...
and I have come to know that Sacrifice draws us closer to Him...
--closer to where we actually want to go anyway!

We've been asked to sacrifice some hard things in the past...
hopes, dreams, friendships, careers, stability...
We've offered up sacrifices of praise,
our broken hearts still singing out
--reminding ourselves that we still believe...

We've been called to surrender completely
and offer up a Sacrifice of *Trust--
when Trust seemed silly and irresponsible.


We find ourselves, yet again, standing side by side, 
shoulder to shoulder, looking out across vast open waters
hearing a faint call to come out and walk on the water with Him...
To trust Him... anyway... (even though...)

And this is the whole Truth about Sacrifice:
He made the Ultimate One to win us!
Any Ask He throws our way is small in comparison,
but we have learned this:
If He is Asking... It's for Our Good!
And also this:
Sacrifice leads us to Freedom... & Less of Us gives way to More of Him!

So, we take a deep breath, we hold hands,
look out across the ocean and back into each others' eyes,
and we step out... unsure of where our feet may fall, 
but knowing --Trusting-- with reckless abandon
that the Ocean He calls us out on
is safe because He is out there
waiting for us!

He is, and always has been our True North!
He is, as the Helsers' sing, 
Endless Ocean, Bottomless Sea...
(We were made to walk on the water!)

{STOP!}

We find ourselves again at the Edge of another Unknown...
but we Trust Him... He hasn't let us down yet!

(I mean-- sure... there have been things that didn't happen the way we wanted... 
prayers that didn't get answered the way we'd hoped... 
but through it all --He holds us close and He holds us steady!
We are like Peter... where else would we go? 
He's got us --and we've got Him!)
“Gather all my lovers, my godly ones whose hearts are one with me— those who have entered into my holy covenant by sacrifices upon the altar.”
                                                  ~ Psalm 50:5 The Passion Translation

Linking up with  Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  Five Minute Fridays give us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about "SACRIFICE"!

* This is when my 5-minute timer went off. 
Grace, please!

The FMF lowdown:
The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk about food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second-guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!

Photo's courtesy of Ryan Loughlin via Unsplash.com

I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:

Mary Geisen for #TellHisStory

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp

Also: I've been battling some sort of something for the past week or so which has resulted in NO VOICE! This is No Bueno for Podcasting... But our latest episode is about the New Year (because --of course!)  Also --we'll be back SOON with a new show! THE CHANGING OUR MINDS PODCAST is somewhat non-bloggy related and I co-host it with my all grown up Girlie, Kayelyn! We cover a lot of topics! Faith plays a part, sure... but it is more like joining us for coffee as we catch up on the couch or sitting at the table! We talk about whatever is on our minds and often reveal things that we used to think we knew... but we've changed our minds! We'd love to have you join us at the table or a comfy couch as we catch up over a cup of something yummy and share life together! We invite you to SUBSCRIBE here to have the Podcast sent to your preferred listening device so you won't miss a thing! Also, follow us on Facebook to join in on the conversations!

What are some of the Sacrifices, big or small, 
that the Lord has been asking of you lately?
I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!
Let's pray for each other as we follow His lead!

4 comments :

  1. A crazy faith girl....me too friend, me too! And in regards to this post, sometimes we forget!

    ReplyDelete
  2. From one crazy faith girl to another who so finds her writing heavier and harder at times - Thank you for reminding me. It isn't always easy but it is all for his kingdom. FMF #28

    ReplyDelete
  3. There's something we must give away;
    no, it's not contentment,
    but something we tote every day,
    the burden of resentment.
    We resent that which we do not have,
    and resent the blokes who've got it,
    we resent Elvis' gold-plated lav,
    and that he went and bought it.
    We resent the God who didn't give
    that early blissful silver spoon
    and that this life we did not live
    in a Sci-Fi dream upon the moon.
    It's when we put all that aside
    that we see the grace where we abide.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for this reminder, especially

    Sacrifice draws us closer to Him...
    --closer to where we actually want to go anyway!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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