Don't Think...

So...I am reading this great book by Mark Batterson called "Primal". It's really very good. I'm not much of a reader, so I would know.

Anyway, I used a quote from him in my FB status today: "Don't let what you think you cannot do keep you from doing what you can." It's from a chapter about giving. It just jumped off the page in nice big letters like it wanted me to pay attention or something.

See, I am on a relaxing mini vacation with my friends. Just for the weekend. We try to do this once a year...the girls shop and watch old movies and the guys go for breakfast and golf all afternoon on Saturday. Not a time of deep thoughts or reflective pondering. Culver's Girl is in her room reading and doing her relaxing devotions and Biker Chick is taking a much deserved nap on the couch about 10 feet from me. That's what it's SUPPOSED to be. Until this year.

I really thought I would write a great blog about our friendship and how close we have all become since the beginning of our relationship and how we love spending time together...laughing, praying, eating, talking...laughing. I said that twice because we laugh A LOT when we get together! And we have done just that so far. Once the guys leave to go to breakfast, us girls just kind of do our own thing during the morning hours and we like it that way. We are all about "we want to do whatever we want to do" and everyone is WAY cool with that.

So...I pick up my book, which I have been reading for a really long time...I think I'm in chapter 3 or something like that. And I'm reading about giving to the Kingdom...all the cool stories about his church and friends he admires who have learned the the concept of giving...you are blessed to bless...and I'm thinking "these stories are so awesome." And then towards the end of the chapter, that line. And because I usually only read a chapter at a time, I was compelled to close the book, get up and stretch and do something all relax-y when I felt the uncontrollable urge to write a blog about that LINE. SO, I went on FB and put it up as my status...not good enough. So, here I am.

You have all heard the old saying "Give until it hurts", right? Well, quite honestly, I do not believe in that. I do not believe that giving should hurt at all. Ever. I agree that we should be giving because HE has given so much to us. Okay...to ME. I know giving is a personal between-you-and-God sort of thing. But, in our little church in The Grove, we really don't talk about the "T" word much. You know...TITHE.

I just want to go on record by saying that the Tithe is one of the most important acts of obedience. I do not tithe because I believe God will bless me, I tithe because I want to BE a blessing and I want to be used by God. Chief is still basically unemployed, so there is no income to tithe right now, but if we have it, we want to give it. And, yes, sometimes giving out of our need is painful (yeah, there-in lies the rub) we know that being obedient is our only option. And that is not always easy.

So, I guess why it hit me hard was because I have been wondering when we would be able to "give" again...out of our "abundance". God wants ME to know that this is all I have. ABUNDANCE. I am SEVERLY blessed, if that's at all possible, and He has kept our hearts and minds focused on Him during this time of "interruption".  Give. And then give more. And as I do, I turn my heart over to Him, growing deeper and deeper in love with Him who gives me more than I could ever give back. This is part of my worship to Him. Honor. Praise. Glorify. Magnify.

Forever.