The Price of the Path

In a few short days my boys will be heading back to school. This is such an exciting time. Both boys are starting a new grade, as they have completed the requirements that were set before them last year they are now given new skills to achieve, new responsibilities to shoulder and new expectations to meet. Had they not adequately completed what was asked of them last year they would be repeating a grade this year, thankfully this isn't the case.

In a way, I feel a lot like my boys, like I am about to start a new "grade" if you will, in my walk with the Lord. I believe that He desires to take me to a deeper level, to use me in a greater way (which are all things that I have asked Him for) however, it took growing up a bit to even be able to pray that prayer, and mean it. As I have grown and been obedient with what God has asked of me, He then began dealing with what I needed to let go of, what behaviors and thought patterns, while perhaps not sinful, were not going to take me deeper but rather hinder me from going where God wants to take me. 

It's amazing how difficult giving things up can be, it's a real fight with the flesh. And I argued, pleaded my case and felt justified. But then God simply told me, "You're right, you can hold on to those things, you can continue on that path, but it will never take you to where I want to take you, is it worth it? You decide."  Wow, when He put it that way it really shed light on how ridiculous I was being. Was I really willing to give up what God had for me for some fleshly desires? Sadly, before God shone His light on the situation, I was, but thankfully after His gentle, loving words, I am not.

What about you? Are there things that are holding you back from God's best? Your choices in entertainment, company, food or drink, reading material etc. The bible says, 

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything." 1 Corinthians 6:12

If we cannot give something up then we have entered the realm of being mastered by it, and the only Master we are to have is Jesus. God's plan for us is beyond our thinking, we can't even begin to imagine how great a plan it is. All we imagine is how great our plans are. We can't see the things in life that may be roadblocks to His best, unless we ask Him to shine His light on every corner in our heart and expose what, if anything, is standing between us and that path that leads to His plans. And since none of us have achieved perfection, I'm guessing there's one or two things we all can be working on.

 

I don't know about you, but I don't want to stay where I am, I want to keep progressing in the school of God, I've repeated enough grades in my life, I'm ready to get serious and hit the books. I'm ready to invest extra time and get tutoring if necessary, to ask for help, to use the tools given to me so that I can succeed, because ultimately, when God's kids succeed, God's kingdom advances and that's what it's all about. 

 

So I challenge you to count the cost, is what you're holding on to worth missing out on God's best? Only you can decide that for yourself. 

 

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 

1 Corinthians 10:31

Is God Calling?

Last week we survived the first week of football practice. This was not something I had planned on, it wasn't even a blip on my radar just 2 months ago. However, my son showed an interest, we did some research and now he is a member of the youth football team. The first day of practice was a bit nerve-wracking for him, he had no idea what to expect, but he did have fun and wanted to go back. The second night was more fun and hard work. By the end of the week he was given all of his equipment and was placed on a team. I wasn't with him when he got his equipment but when I pulled in the driveway Thursday night there he was head to toe in his helmet, pads and uniform. Suddenly he looked like a real football player, it was a pretty crazy transformation.

God does the same thing with us. Just like my son didn't have any of the equipment he needed to play football, all he had was a desire, so it is with you and me. When God calls us to something, whether it's to lead a class, witness to a friend, sing a solo, give an offering, whatever it is, if God calls us, He equips us. All He needs is a willing person. 

My son didn't get a phone call asking him to come be a part of the youth football team because of his amazing ability to throw the football in the backyard with his dad. Nor did he get a call to play because he already owned all the equipment. No, he went to the team and said, I want to be a part of this; from there the coaches are making sure he has everything he needs to be a part of this team. And to be honest, my son didn't know a whole lot about football before last week (still doesn't, it's all a learning process), he didn't know which position he should play or the right way to block or anything.

When's the last time you asked God to be a part of His team, regardless of what that looks like?  You don't have to know which position you should be in, you don't have to own all the equipment, you don't have to know all the plays, you just have to have a desire to be a part of the team and sign up. 

Once we sign up and say, 'Ok Lord, here I am, use me', the next step is to listen and move! If my son got out on the field and then just sat there, that wouldn't make him very valuable to the team, in fact, he would then be dangerous and a hindrance to the team. But my son does whatever the coach tells him and quickly! There's no questioning the coach's direction, no wondering if it's the right thing to do, no arguing, the coach says it and the team does it. The team, each member, is confident in the coach's ability and they are trusting his expertise in the game.

We need to do the same with God. We need to go when he says go, without arguing, without waiting (delayed obedience is disobedience). We need to and have every reason to trust God's leading and direction. He will never lead us somewhere we shouldn't go, He will never ask us to do something He hasn't equipped us to do, He will never send us off on our own. 

Has God been calling you on to the field? Are you ready to make the play? The team needs you!

"You also are among those who are called..." Romans 1:6

Fuzzy Focus

All to often I feel like I haven't done much of anything with my life and that I should be striving to do something meaningful and important. I don't take into consideration my role as wife and mother when thinking about these things. I think about what my kids will be able to say that I do besides be their mom, I want it to be something great. I want my life to be significant in some grand way. I would love to sing songs that reach the multitudes, or write a best selling novel or something along those lines. I've tried to figure out how to do those things, (I've even written a book, which has yet to be desired by an agent). My quest for figuring out what I was made for beyond motherhood has left me frustrated and at times depressed. 

I have frequently pondered the question, what did God create me for? And I always throw in, "besides being a mom and wife". As much as I love those things, and really most of my childhood all I wanted was to be a mom and wife, I still feel like I was created for more, but what? After my father died my senior year in high school, all the plans that I had in my head of how my life would play out suddenly took a very different turn. I was all set to go to FSU in the fall and instead stayed home and went to UCF for a whole semester before dropping out. I have tried several times to go back to school, but with working full-time and then children, it just wasn't a priority or something I really wanted. 

So does that mean that this is it for me? At my funeral will they say, she was a great mom and wife and then end the service? If that is the case am I content with that? So many questions. So what answers do I have?

Although I may not know what my life will look like 10 years down the road or even a year down the road, I do know that right now, today, what God has set before me is to in fact, be a wife to Brian and a mom to Trevor, Nathan and Jenna. And if that's all then that's more than enough.

I don't know what my future looks like, it's a fuzzy, far-off picture that I can't clearly see, but I've been spending so much of my thought life and energy focusing on the fuzzy picture and ignoring the crystal clear view that is right in front of me. I guess it really doesn't matter what my future looks like, what I'll be doing and where I'll be doing it, because as long as I stick with God, I can be sure that it is a beautiful picture. The bible promises me that His plans for me are good.

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

So I have made a decision to live in this moment, the one I'm in right now. I'm going to be content with what God has given me and I am going to squeeze the most out of this moment. I'm not going to waste my time staring at a fuzzy picture that no matter how hard I try I can't bring into focus. I am going to keep my eyes on the Lord and day by day take what He has for me with open arms and a grateful heart. 

What about you? Are you so concerned with the future that you are missing what God has for you today? Maybe you're not concerned with what you should do with your life, maybe it's something else; finances, children, marriage, housing, ministry? In Matthew Jesus talks to us about this whole focusing on the future thing, aka worry. 

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life..." Matthew 6:25

That's it, plan and simple, do not worry about your life. He goes into detail about what that means and then He tells us what we should focus on,

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..." Matthew 6:33

To seek His kingdom first is to take one day at a time and follow Him and obey Him throughout that day. Go where He leads, speak what He says, love as He loves. I guess it's much more simple than I've tried to make it. 

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things." Matthew 6:34

And really, what do I care what they say about me at my funeral, I won't be there anyway.  

Leaving Fear on the Sideline

My son started football practice this week. He's never played football, and being that we are not a big sports family, I dare say he's never watched a game on TV for more than a few minutes. He has played football on the Wii, but I'm pretty sure that's a bit different from the real thing. 

I sat on the sidelines yesterday watching as he listened intently to the coach and went through the drills over and over. I could hear the coach from where I was sitting and honestly, it was quite confusing to me. At one point the coach was explaining a 32 trap play, (at least I think that's what it was called) positioning kids and explaining how they were to move. I was lost. I thought for sure there was no way my son was picking up on this, I mean, there was a lot of information to assimilate in just a few short minutes. It was Trevor's turn to run the play, I watched with tense muscles, afraid he might not get it, but to my surprise he ran the play like a pro. As confused as I was sitting on the side lines he was on the field and he knew exactly what to do. 

I think it's like that in our Christian walk. We've all been there, we see someone who witnesses like it's easy as pie, or someone who gives without blinking and we think, man, I wish I could do that. Those people are on the playing field and they are running the play. Those of us who are constantly trying to wrap our brains around how to witness or give or serve, we're the ones on the sidelines, and chances are, unless we stand up and brush off our fear and doubt, we will always be on the sidelines trying to understand the play.

Trevor didn't know a thing about football 30 minutes earlier, and yet there he was, running the play as if he'd been doing this for months. And the truth is, he was scared. Just 30 minutes earlier, when they called all the 3rd and 4th graders to the coach, Trevor turned with his eyes brimming with tears and buried his face in his father's side. "I don't want to, I'm scared." He cried to his dad. My heart broke for him, I can imagine the fear of stepping out onto that field, not knowing what's going to happen, he had every right to be afraid. But my husband encouraged him and sent him on his way. As his parents, we knew he would be fine, and we were pretty sure he would actually enjoy the very thing that he was presently afraid of. 

Does that sound familiar to you? You feel prompted to witness to the cashier at the grocery store, or to give an extra $100 in the offering plate and as much as you want to, you're gripped by fear. Our Father gently encourages us, but then the choice is up to us, run on to the field or dig our heels into the sideline and refuse to move. And God knows that if we take that chance, if we run on to the field, we will love making the play, we will feel connected to the family of God, we will find the confidence to keep going and we will be a valuable member of God's winning team. However, if we choose to stay on the sidelines we will be missing out on all those things. The choice is ours, God will never force us to get off the bench.

I'm so proud of Trevor for pushing through his fear, he's an inspiration. It's time for me to push through my fears and to get off the bench and be a team player for the kingdom. I may not understand how everything works from where I sit right now, but I believe that as I step out on that field it'll all come together and I will be running the play like a pro, or at least an amateur with potential. 

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!"  James 1:22 (Message)

God Understands...

When my daughter was around a year old I noticed that she wasn't using any words. I didn't think too much about it because I know that all children progress at different rates. I also try very hard to not do too much "research" and give myself too much information, which can lead to confusion and fear. I mentioned my concern at her check up and the doctor wasn't concerned. As the months passes and she still wasn't using words I became more concerned. It was clear that she was frustrated when she couldn't communicate to us and we were frustrated that we couldn't help her. I scheduled to have her evaluated and figure out how to help her. 

Her evaluation showed what I knew instinctively as a mom, she does indeed have a speech delay. We began working on teaching her sign language to give her a way to communicate and she will begin speech therapy in the fall. It's amazing to me how much she has picked up with the sign language and how much it has helped ease the stress and frustration on both her end and ours.

Do you ever feel that no one understands you? Maybe you don't even understand yourself. Perhaps you feel unheard, unnoticed, lost. Maybe you feel like you're spinning in circles trying to figure out how to communicate your dreams, desires, hopes and fears. I have felt all of these things at one time or another. At times there are things in my heart or mind that I'm not sure how to articulate, or a burden on my heart that I don't understand. 

Perhaps the greatest news is that God understands it all. He understands my daughter whether she can verbalize, sign or just scream. He understands me whether I'm poetic, witty or mute. He knows what my heart is saying even when my brain doesn't. He knows it all, He understands it all. There isn't a single secret thing in my heart that He doesn't see and know all the intricate details. He knows the painful, the joyful, the beautiful, the ugly. 

He knows that about every single one of us. There is nothing hidden from Him. There is nothing that we can say or do that will shock Him. There is no language that we can speak that He will not understand. What a relief. What an awesome God we serve, fluent in every spoken, unspoken and written language that ever was and ever will be. And He communicates right back to us, but that's a whole other subject.


So what do you have to say? What's on your heart and mind? The world may not be listening, your husband may not "get it", your friends may not have time but your Creator, your King, the Lover of your soul, He has His ear bent low and is waiting to hear from you.

"...He hears my voice." Psalm 55:17 

 

 

Slipcover Christians

A couple of months ago we were gifted my husband's grandmother's couch. The couch itself is in great shape, this woman obviously hasn't had kids in her house for quite some time. However, the fabric is, well, let's just say it's a grandma's pattern, nice and flowery. While ever so grateful for a couch to sit on, the floral print just didn't sit well with me. So yesterday, after what seemed like hours of trying to make a decision, we got a slip cover. With my sister's help, we tucked and straightened and tucked and wiggled and tucked some more until finally it was on properly. 

This is my first experience with a slip cover and if you've never had one before let me share with you some of the pros and cons. The first benefit is that you can give your couch an updated look without having to drop big bucks to either re-upholster or buy new. Two drawbacks that I have found are that slip covers are designed to go over a range of couch sizes so it won't fit exactly, which means if you look carefully you can tell that it's a slip cover. Also, whenever someone sits on the couch, the cover moves a bit and then needs to be re-tucked. Those things aside, I'm so thrilled to have the flower garden buried! 

This morning as I was laying on my "new" couch and thinking about the slip cover the Lord spoke to my heart about 'Slipcover Christians'. I thought, what the heck is that!? And as I started thinking about my slipcover it all made sense. 

How many of us try to cover up and look good when we're at church or around certain people? Trying to cover our flaws and hide our imperfections. Attempting to be someone we're not the other six days and 22 hours a week. Raising our hands and worshiping God when just 12 hours earlier we were at the bar with all our "buds" from work. Or teaching a Sunday school class while earlier in the week we were flirting with a married co-worker. Or voicing our amens during the sermon when we are harboring anger and unforgiveness toward a friend.

We've all done it at some point or another, it's human nature to try and fit it, to make yourself more than you are, and that's just the point; that's human nature and we need God nature. The more like Jesus we become, the less like us we become and that's a good thing. The only way we become more like Him is to spend time with Him. 

God doesn't want us walking around squirming in our own skin, trying to tuck away and cover up our flaws and imperfections. He wants to change us, make us new creations in Him, wash away our sins, renew our minds, cleanse our hearts, He wants us to be authentic children of God. No duplicates, no clones, no knock-off imitations, just the best version of us that He desires us to be. 

When we live our lives outside of the church walls as card carrying members of the worldly Christian club and then try to be good and fit in with the other church goers on Sunday we are completely ineffective for Christ and we are living a lie. The Word says in Revelation 3:16,

"So, because you are neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

It's time to evaluate your own life, are you trying to be a slip cover Christian and "cover-up" thoughts and behaviors that are sinful and worldly? Or are you the real deal? Would you be mortified if your pastor knew how you behaved during the week or would it line up with how you behave on Sunday? 


Let's take the slip covers off and be our true selves, flaws and all, and let's go to Jesus, the Master re-upholsterer and allow Him to make real, lasting changes in our lives. We will never regret it. 

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:5-10

 

Do The Work

Back in December we found out that our youngest son needed glasses. We took him in to the eye doctor and ordered his glasses. This was definitely not in our budget, but it was necessary. Then in June the unthinkable happened. Somewhere between the van and the house the glasses disappeared. I'm still not sure how in the world this happened, it's like they vanished into thin air. We spent weeks looking for the glasses. Finally I broke down and called the eye glass store to ask what our warranty covered and how much it would be to replace the glasses. I had thought when we purchased the warranty that it covered loss but I wasn't sure. (And don't ask me why I didn't call sooner, afraid of what I would hear I guess, and I was still holding out hope that we would find the glasses).

Of course we were told that they didn't cover loss and the best they could do was to give us a 15% discount. This was NOT the news I wanted. I went in and picked up the prescription and decided to just go get the cheapest glasses I could somewhere else. We even went and looked at another store to pick out glasses. My plan was with our next paycheck to order the glasses. 

Later that afternoon I was cleaning up and came across the warranty card that I was given with the glasses. I looked at the card and was shocked, right there on the top of the card, the first thing it says it covers is... loss. What!? Here we were stressing over everything when we're covered. And then the thing that really got me was the fact that the eye place didn't tell me that! I went to call the store but they were closed on Sunday and Monday (this was Sunday). I had to wait two days before getting this straightened out. 

We read the teeny-tiny print on the warranty and found that the coverage was just for the frames and there was a $15 fee. Well, that was better than nothing. This morning I called the store to tell them of my discovery. I told the gentleman that answered the phone that I was really upset that they didn't tell me the truth about my warranty and how I almost wasted money replacing the glasses. His response? He said they would order the replacement and call me when it was ready. I said, wait, does it cover everything or do I need to pay anything? He said, I don't know, we'll just give you a replacement at no charge and call you when they're ready.

Are you serious? Just like that? I'm in shock. Was it really that easy? Apparently. Then I got to thinking, how often as children of God do we just take what we're told as truth and live our lives accordingly? Possibly more often than we realize. How often does the world take what is told them as truth and go to hell because of it? Every second of every day it's happening.

Is there something that you're believing and living that isn't the truth of God? Maybe you were told that you would never amount to anything. Maybe you heard that healing was for the days of the apostles. Maybe you were told that all you had to do was live a decent life and karma would insure that you had a good afterlife. Maybe you were told that it's ok not to forgive the person who hurt you. The list goes on and on. 

The truth is we all have to research the Word of God for ourselves to find The Truth. If we live our lives based on what someone else tells us to be true we're playing a very risky game. What if they're wrong? What if you spend your entire life thinking that you're right only to find out that you were wrong. And had you spent just a little time looking into things for yourself, asking God, the only One who is qualified to judge, you would have discovered the Truth and lived your life differently. 

I'm not saying that everything you hear is wrong or that people are out there intentionally spreading lies (although some are). I am saying that we need to not be satisfied with other people's interpretation of the truth. One day we will all stand before God and have to give an answer for what we did with our lives and we won't be able to say, "well, so and so told me that living that way was ok, I didn't know." God has given us His Word to answer all of our questions and to give us the standard to live by, let's not do what I did with my son's glasses and assume that what I was told was the truth, rather, let's be proactive with our lives and spend some time researching and getting to the bottom of the Truth and reap all of the benefits that come with that knowledge. How sad for me had I just taken what I was told and then spent a bunch of money needlessly. And how much more tragic to go our entire lives not knowing the Truth.

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." John 14:6

 

Jesus, My Friend

I was barely 17 when my father passed away suddenly. I had just really come back into a relationship with the Lord and was devastated to think that God would allow my father to die. I remember a few weeks after his death I decided to try and go back to church. I had to at least try. I remember sitting in the pew and feeling out of place. I was alone. The music played and the congregation sang hymns. Then they started to sing, 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus'. My body tensed up, I hung my head as a parade of thoughts marched through my head.

"What kind of friend is Jesus!? He took my daddy."
"This is a joke, Jesus is no friend."
"I don't need a 'friend' like this."

One by one the thoughts marched by and moment by moment the anger and hurt grew until I could no longer stand there. I closed the hymnal, gathered my things are walked out of the church. It would be several years before I would return. 

Over the years I would occasionally hear that familiar tune and I would be instantly transported back to that small church. Each time the words becoming more of a sweet truth and less of a painful stab.

Fast forward almost 18 years. Much has changed in almost 2 decades, but Jesus hasn't. I am no longer that young, hurt, confused and angry girl. Now I am a thirty-something wife and mom desperate for more of God. But today I was reminded of that hymn.

You see, 10 months ago we made a big move across the country. It was a good move, one we'd prayed and hoped for. But it is also difficult. It is difficult to walk into new places with not a single familiar face, week after week, month after month. I've never made friends easily, and I've never had lots of them. But everyone, whether you make friends easily or not, wants to be accepted and known. 

So as I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself the Holy Spirit reminded me that I have the best friend of all, the Friend that loves me when I'm unlovable, the Friend that helps me when I am helpless, the Friend that forgives me when I don't deserve it. This Friend will never not have time for me, will never tire of my company and will never, ever forget a promise. I'm so glad that I can now sing the words of that hymn from a heart of love and gratitude, and the rest will come, I am sure of it, because my Friend gives me the desires of my heart.

"There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

What a friend we have in Jesus

all our sins and griefs to bear.

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer.

Oh what peace we often forfeit;

oh what needless pain we bear.

All because we do not carry,

everything to God in prayer

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

who with all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness,

take it to the Lord in prayer

Are we weak and heavy laden,

cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior still our refuge;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do they friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

In His arms He'll take and shield thee;

thou wilt find a solace there.

Tender Sacrifice

This week we wrapped up the third and final week of VBS for our boys. All week long the boys have been learning verses and books of the bible and doing "homework" so that they can earn punches, which at the end of the week would earn them a prize. The more punches you earned the sooner you got to go to the table and pick a prize, thus giving you a better selection. Each night after VBS the boys would walk to the table and look over the prizes. They each had their eye on something special to them. Trevor had selected a huge water gun, something he's been wanting all summer. Nathan had his eye on a small stuffed animal that you can play with online. 

The final day came and at the closing program they would call names in the order of greatest to least punches. The first few names were called. Then the unthinkable happened, the little boy that Trevor had been bringing all week had his name called before Trevor. My husband and I looked at each other knowing this was most definitely a mistake. My heart beat a little faster as I wanted to jump up and say, "Hey, that's not right!" But I controlled myself, I could see Trevor getting antsy in his seat because he too knew this wasn't right. A couple more names were called and both water guns were gone. Then they finally called Trevor.

Trevor slowly walked to the table, unsure of what to do now that the one thing he had his eye on all week was gone. There was still lots to choose from, but how do you settle for second best when all you've looked at is first? Then Trevor did what most 9 year olds, or 30 year olds wouldn't, he grabbed the stuffed animal Nathan wanted. Trevor headed back to his seat and handed the stuffed dog to Nathan.

My eyes filled with tears as I was both so incredibly proud of Trevor and also heartbroken for him. All I wanted to do was run out and buy him the biggest water gun I could find. As the program finished he walked back to meet us, his head hung and eyes hidden under his baseball cap. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Sacrifice is painful. 

One definition of sacrifice says, "to surrender or give up for the sake of something else". Trevor easily could have chosen something else off that table, sure it wouldn't have been his first choice, but I'm certain there was something there that he could have enjoyed. Instead he chose to give up his right to a prize to guarantee his brother would get his first choice. 

And that's exactly what Jesus did. Jesus gave up everything, sacrificed it all, so that we could have fellowship with the Father, forgiveness of sin, eternal life and so much more. 

"For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." 1 Corinthians 5:7

Now the question comes down to you and me, what are we sacrificing? Sometimes we sacrifice without even thinking about it, or sometimes it seems, without a choice. Middle of the night feedings, new clothes, dinners out, quiet time, these are all things that as moms and dads we give up without a thought. But what about the sacrifice that you do have a choice about? Giving something away instead of selling it to make a few dollars. Sponsoring a child. Writing a check to help a family in need. 

It is when we have to give up something in order to give it that it becomes a sacrifice. Is it much of a sacrifice if you have unlimited cash flow and you give someone $50 for groceries? Probably not. But when that $50 means the difference between a full shopping cart for you and a half empty one, well, then it really is a sacrifice. 

Do you know the secret to sacrifice? It's love. Trevor sacrificed because he loves his brother dearly. Jesus sacrificed because He loves us more than we could ever fully grasp. As mothers and fathers we sacrifice because yup, you got it, we love.  And the bible tells us that when we love God we will show it in how we treat others.

"I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethern, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40

So let me ask you, are you giving something up for the sake of another? Or are you holding onto your comforts and rights? Have you shown your love for God in more than words? Or are you just telling Him that you love Him? I ask these things not to make you feel badly, but because I'm asking myself the same thing. God showed His love for us, He didn't just tell us He loves us. I want to do more than just tell Him. 

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethern. But whosoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18