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God is up to
something. I really think it is
something big. He is hearing the cries
of those that are desperate and He is hearing the cries of those that have a
heart for Him and a desire to reach out to the needy. He sees the marginalized, the abused, the
hungry and the thirsty. His eyes are
scanning the world to see who will go.
Who will help. Lord Jesus, I am
here. I will go, I will do, I will do
without.
Through a new found friendship, that has already become a precious gift, I was introduced to
The Yes Club (www.theyesclub.org). The idea of The Yes Club isn't new but it is
fresh (does that makes sense?). The idea
of asking yourself to go without something in order to give to others isn't a
new concept but asking to do it for a period of time (in this case 1 year)
is. I can do without something I enjoy
(let’s not forget this isn't about basic necessities that are the needs of most of the world – it is 1st world wants) for a week or a month but ask me to give it up for
a year, really? Isn't that a bit
extreme? Yes! As a Christian God calls us to die to
ourselves, take up our cross, lose our life and love our neighbor as our self,
but somehow in America that translates into Sunday morning church attendance
and if you are really dedicated Sunday nights and Wednesday nights too. It means fitting God in between work, sports practice/Kindermusik and friendships and having all the stuff we want, even while others
are dying without food and water. How do
I know that? It is because that is how I
LIVE. I am not pointing my finger
anywhere but back at myself.
So, as I was
reading the Yes Club website I knew pretty clearly what I was supposed to give
up. And let me tell you, I did not want
to! I will share with you only because I
want you to understand how very materialistic I am, not to get a pat on the
back. Only God gets the glory for this! I LOVE gifts. I really do.
I love being thought about. Heck,
I love getting stuff. New stuff, pretty
stuff to wear, L O V E it. So, when I
heard the whisper in my heart to give up gifts for a whole year I ignored
it. I decided I would “pray” about what
God wanted me to give… ever done that?
Pray in hopes that maybe you didn't hear correctly? It sounds so spiritual doesn't it? “I am
going to pray about it.” Really, THIS
TIME, my prayer was just an act of disobedience.
Yeouch! By this morning I knew
without a shadow of a doubt that I was supposed to give up gifts. That means no Christmas (was already doing
it), no Valentine’s, no 10 year anniversary, no 33 birthday, no Mother’s day. No gifts.
Nada. This will be a
sacrifice. Not in a “daily need” kind of
way but in a “break down my selfish heart” kind of way. Do you know what is amazing? In the midst of giving this up and committing
in my heart (and on the website) God is already overflowing my cup. Seriously.
I am blessed beyond measure every single day but I am so blinded by
wants and stuff that I cannot see it.
So, will you
join me? Will you commit to giving
something up and using that money to provide life saving water for another?
Head over to
The Yes Club and check it out.
“Teacher,
which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first
and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the
Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
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