Giving Up

Do you ever want to just give up? There are times that I certainly do. When things aren't going my way, I just want to quit. There are many times that my kids have wanted to give up and I, as the parent, have to say, "No, you have to keep going." Then, there are those times when you need to give up and you continue to hang on ever so tightly. That is what is on my mind today - giving up when it is time to do so.

I am a very possessive person - my house, my car, my clothes, mine, mine, mine! I often say this is because I only have one brother and we never shared anything while growing up. He was all boy and I was all girl and we very seldom ever crossed any lines when it came to what was his and what was mine. Prior to marriage, I lived alone for about ten years so everything was definitely MINE!

I am very much a "homebody." I would much rather stay home than go anywhere else. My house is my haven. It is very me - everything has a place and everything is in its place or I am working on getting it into its place. (That includes screaming, "insert child's name come pick up your _______________ and put it away - NOW!"- We have a lively home.)

Over the years, I have been asked to give up my home - yes, the house in which I live, my haven. The first time was about 13 years ago. My daughter was an infant. She had the perfect little room. Being that she was an infant, it was virtually untouched. When I received the call from the youth minister at our church asking if a missionary family (with several young kids) could stay in our home while we were out of town, I almost hyperventilated. The nerve of him to ask such a thing of me! Even though it was very hard for me, I did say yes and I was blessed. That particular family stayed in our home other times as well and each time I received a blessing.

At this point, I would really have to stop and think to count up how many have stayed in our home since that first rendering. Some times, we were out of town. Other times, we have been home. I can only think of two families that we actually knew prior to them arriving on our doorstep. The majority have been people seeing doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The most recent call came this past Monday. I didn't know the woman on the other end of the phone. She is the sister-in-law of a friend of my mother's. All I knew is that her husband is very ill and that they are desperately seeking a miracle through the doctors at MD Anderson.

This time, I was asked to give a little more. Due to the husband's health, he is not able to go up and down the stairs in our home to get to the second floor guestroom. The only bedroom on the first floor is the master bedroom - my bedroom, my haven. The place where I go when my kids are driving me crazy. The room that has my favorite chair. Really? Give up MY room? Yes, I knew in my heart that I was to give up my bedroom.

Yesterday, I spent the day cleaning. Top to bottom I cleaned. I spent more time on the master bedroom and bathroom than any other room because for the first time EVER it was going to have guests in it. Not just any guests, but guests who are going through one of the worst things one can imagine. At the end of the day, when the cleaning was done and dinner was made, I received a text that our guests would not be coming to our house after all. The doctors decided to keep the husband in the hospital and the wife was choosing to stay with him. Would you please take a moment to say a prayer for this couple?

I have no doubt that God knew all of this from the VERY beginning - even before that first phone call. I believe that He just wanted to know where my heart was. He wanted to know if I was willing to give up that part of me that is so very MINE. You see, my master bedroom is the hidden part of who I am and God used this to show me that he wants that hidden part - not just the part that I allow everyone else to see. I am also thinking that this all goes back to that denial thing. What do you think?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

I want/desire for my treasure to be the things of Christ, not my earthly possessions. Like me, is there something to which you are holding on too tightly? Is it time for you to give it up?

May you find JOY in giving up. I know I have!

Tami

Just a side note:  I do share the master bedroom with The Professor, but he lets me pretend that it is all mine!