SHARE!

There is something secure about hanging on to our stuff. And it apparently makes interesting script as now we have television shows of people who have taken this (hoarding) to an art form…with dismal results. But the truth is, it is hard to share. I see that in my grandchildren….when they were two or three all of them had such a hard time with this concept. And so they got older and we hounded them out of much of the selfishness. Now when they have a friend over they will share (perhaps for only a short time) their stuff. Sharing is indeed hard.

I know adults who won’t share no matter what and they feel justified in doing so. And as we look at THOSE people, I confess I think it is not an attractive character trait. It is small. It is selfish. It is greedy. Yet, lurking within me (and I bet you!) I can still find myself hanging on to my stuff.

Several years ago I longed for a large van that would hold me and my family and all their friends. I wanted a blue one yet knew it was an impossibility as it was far out of our price range. Beloved spotted one on a used car lot, swung in, found it was absolutely do-able, bought the car and it was mine. I named it Big Blue. It had every bell and whistle on it AND it was diesel which meant we got about 30 miles to a gallon. I Loved, loved, loved my van!

So the day came when I got a phone call from the youth pastor. He wanted to borrow MY VAN for a week, load it with a bunch of unruly (my term) teenagers and drive it hundreds of miles away for a youth camp. My first thought was “ARE YOU KIDDING?!!” My hand gripped tightly around the phone as I said “Hmmm… let me pray about it!” - which simply meant- “Not a chance!”

Beloved thinks different than I do and for that I am grateful. He said, “Well, of course they can use it! After all it belongs to God!”

Really? I thought it belonged to me!

So I pried my fingers off the van and gave the youth pastor the keys and watched Big Blue go out of the driveway knowing full well it would never be the same! And it wasn’t.

One week later it came back. The seat belt holders were both broken. There was a slight stain on the beautiful blue carpet. No, it wasn’t the same. But in some ways it was better. It came back with stories of such adventures and great fun. The trip had been an awesome success and lives had been changed. And soon word got out that Big Blue was available and from then on it was used by everyone. Friends took it on vacation. Youth groups felt it was theirs and used it often. Others used it to move from one place to another or haul large things in it. And our family had awesome and made great memories in Big Blue. And in the end it went to college with Cameron. After she and Jay were married and living in the tiniest apartment on campus, we are sure it became a guest room.

Letting go can be hard. But hoarding our stuff can be even more painful because it enslaves us. Looking back, I can’t even begin to list the great blessings Big Blue was to so many people and through their blessings we were blessed. It totally freed me up to say yes anytime and every time someone asked for it. It became a pleasure.

A month ago we asked Matt and Leslie Buchholz if we could use their gorgeous, totally fabulous home for filming all of the Be Amazing teaching segments. This would require them, along with their baby and three year old, to move out of their home for five days. There would be about twenty-five people in their home during that time using their kitchen, rearranging their furniture, using their electricity and anything else that was needed. They did not hesitate. They simply said “Sure”. And so they packed up and moved out and we and our film crew moved in.

They understand something that took me years to grasp. Everything DOES belong to God and should be used for His glory and for the betterment of others. And of course it will never be the same. In taking down some equipment a chunk of the wall came off. We tracked in dirt and even though everyone tried to be ultra careful, things did not remain the same. They were different.

BUT, in it all, God received the glory and soon we will have twenty-four teaching sessions that we pray will change the way women think about their roles, their families and their homes. And there were twenty-five people who stood in awe of Matt and Leslie Buchholz. They have served as a great example for the rest of us. Share! It is worth it!

A most enormous thanks to Matt and Leslie for serving as such an awesome picture of Jesus Christ to all of us who took part in the filming of Be Amazing. For sure you both truly are!

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Luke 6:38