The subject of sacrifice has been a hot topic in my world lately. It's a tough subject for me because I sacrificed a lot in my teenage years for my family. The normal teenage activities are foreign to me. Which is probably why I don't understand Facebook dating.
Oh my growing up years were no hardship mind you. My parents were caring and godly. I had close relationships with my siblings. The circumstances of life happened and I was, dare I say forced, into a role that was full of responsibility and sacrifice. Picture it. Younger siblings ten and fifteen years younger. The newest family addition seventeen years younger born with a life threatening birth defect. My parents were in and out of hospitals and there I was playing Mom to my younger sisters. When most kids were having parties, going to proms, dating, I was grocery shopping at Walmart with a seven and two year old! Back then teen pregnancy wasn't exactly popular so when the cashier would make a comment such as(let me pull one of the million I've heard out of my head) "Oh you are so young to be a Mom!" I learned to say "OH no these are my sisters not my kids!" .
Even more recently when Grace was near a year old, I was getting my hair done at a shop while I was in Texas visiting. My Sister ten years my junior was holding Grace, the hairdresser asked me. are you ready? remember I am like twenty six years old. drum roll "Is that your granddaughter!". I seriously wanted to walk right out of that place, hair undone and all and never come back. Now of course the lady was talking about Grace and not my Sister. I am sure she thought Grace was my Sisters child but REALLY? I mean REALLY? I have referred to myself as old ever since.
When God asked me to give up going to college away from home I got really angry. It took a while to wrap my head around. I had dreams of moving across the country to Boston to attend college. I had never envisioned myself living at home throughout my young adult life. The time I was suppose to go out into the world and become an adult. He wanted me at home to help my family. He wanted me to sacrifice the most important days of my life. My Dreams of schooling, of moving far from home, my dreams of writing music. He required me to lay my dreams on his alter. He was asking me to give them to him. My dreams I had held since I was a child. He asked me to be there for my family and die to myself. I chose to and although I will not be rewarded this side of heaven. I can be assured that maybe, just maybe he will say to me "Good job my daughter, well done!" and that my friends will make that hairdressers question worth it!
What are you sacrificing for the cross? Is God asking you to give up something up for his purpose? If he is how can I pray for you?
