When Carpets Are Stained With Blue Fingernail Polish and Faith.

When we took her in. It was not for profit. It was the God voice. The voice that whispered….

“Will you follow me?”

And sometimes faith is like swimming.  Where toe dipping caution into “believing”.  Just doesn’t cut it.

Either you dive in.  Or you are left cold on the shores of “unbelieving”. 

Sinking deep in His provision.  His strength.  His ways….

Or standing painfully.  Frozen. In the futility of your own ways.

And blue fingernail polish is not my thing….especially when it’s set deep within our brand new, light colored carpet.

Or when I look at my childhood chair.  One of the only things that I have kept and fondly hold dear from when I was little.

And the “yes” of a little girl somehow breaks it.

And I am well aware….broken things lead to broken things.  If they are not touched by the only One that can heal and repair. 

And as I sit still.  Knee deep in the brokenness of these worldly things.  I open the Word.  And find the widows mite. A message. My message.  This day..

• Jesus watched as people gave. Some gave from the abundance of their wealth.
• The widow reached in.  She gave everything.
• Jesus called to the disciples to come and look at her ways.

And I have read this verse a thousand times. Yes….

• “Giving is always best.”  
• “Don’t give partially to God.” 
• “Give everything”….and on and on and on….

But, this time.  It struck me.  The disciples had already left their families.  Fish abundant. Way of life.  Their country.  Everything they knew.  But yet, Jesus showed them the widows gift of giving….

Why?

Could it be that the “yes” to Jesus is not a one time commission or duty?  The offering of “yes” requires more of us than money…..But everything?  Over and over again.  Carpets.  Childhood chairs.  Time.  Energy.  All of it.

This everything.  This God life.  A mandate for living.  As Christians.

• Not a…..here is my life, but I will choose where or how or when I’ll give it.  
• Not compartmentalizing God.  And picking and choosing.  Giving tithes, but not family.  House, but not business.  Etc. Etc.  
• Not a one time gift to Jesus…but a daily sacrifice of surrendered living.

For it seems….God is all or nothing.  And he is looking for…..All in.  Sold out.  Uncompromised Christians. 

Those who turn back?  Not fit for the Kingdom.  Those who make excuses for how or why or when they will come to Christ?

Useless.

And we might think God is rigid.  Strict.  Harsh.  Limiting….

But I am thinking….

He knows that in our tight fist keeping….there is no blessing.  It’s in conduit living.  Giving up…where there is getting.   The offering of all, that open flood gates from Heaven.

And God is not a greedy God. What He takes.  What we give. There is always, guaranteed, without a doubt, greater portions at the other end of it…..

If we have faith.

And in the “yes” to my blue carpet maker.  My chair breaker.  I find that our faith must not be stingy.  It cannot say “yes”….then with-tract it’s commitment.  It offers all, until the end.  In the same way Jesus did for us.

Money, time, energy…..Everything.  All of it.  All the way to the cross.

Because faith is like swimming.  Deep in His oceans of grace.

And I want Jesus to be able to trust.  Me.  Faithful with all of what He has given me to do….this day.

Not holding back.  Keeping some.  But offering all.  Even when broken things make me want to hold back.  Stop.  Not surrender anymore….

That is when we give. Give most.  Not out of burden or duty.  But out of love. And commitment.

So as I figure out how to clean blue fingernail polish out of my white carpet.  And fix the chair that I sat in when I was an infant.  I ask you.  Out of love and deep sincerity.

I ask you….with the desire and the hope that you will be conduits of the fullness of His Kingdom….

Will you give to Him.  Today….

Everything?

(Linking today with Tracy @ Daily Walk in His Grace, Emily)