Michelle DeRusha

Every Day Faith. Faith Every Day.

sacrifice

When a Small Sacrifice Makes a Big Impact

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006 “Ten Things God Wants You to Remember.” That’s what was written on the front side of the card, along with a list: “I am for you. I love you. I believe in you. I will not fail you. I will be with you. I will provide for you. I will bless you. I will give you rest. I will strengthen you. I will answer you.”

On the inside, my friend Mary had written a short note. “Not sure why I thought you needed this card,” she wrote in red ballpoint, “but I did. You are loved, friend!”

I was touched to receive a card for no reason from a friend halfway across the country. Real mail is nearly a thing of the past these days, so when the mailbox holds more than the scarlet Netflix envelope and the electric bill, it’s a banner day. After I read Mary’s note, I propped the card open on the kitchen counter, right next to the microwave. 

“I really like that card,” Noah mentioned later as we sat side-by-side on the living room couch. “I like the words on the cover. They comfort me.”

I looked up from my book. “You mean the card on the kitchen counter? If you really like it, you can have it, you know,”  I said. “If you want, you can keep it right on your nightstand, so you can read it whenever you want.”

Turns it, it wasn’t me who had needed the card.

My friend Mary couldn’t have known Noah needed to read the words inscribed on that DaySpring card. I hadn’t known. Noah himself probably hadn’t known. But those words were the exact message he needed to hear. And they were sent by someone he’d never even met, someone in Pennsylvania who’d simply obeyed a nudge,  a sense that those words were needed out here on the Great Plains.

I think sometimes we assume that if our gestures aren’t grand, if our sacrifices aren’t radical, then we aren’t truly “all in,” we aren’t truly living for God.

We believe that if we aren’t founding orphanages in Uganda or digging wells in Kenya, we aren’t really living an obedient, sacrificial life, a Jesusy-enough life. When our service seems ordinary, we wonder if we are “doing enough.”

Now, I have nothing against founding orphanages and digging wells. If that’s your calling, if that’s where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet, as Frederick Buechner said, then I say go for it with gusto.

But if your acts of loving kindness and service are less dramatic — a little more Hallmark, a little less Habitat for Humanity — I say carry on with confidence.

Listen to the Holy Spirit and heed. Follow through on those subtle nudges, those gentle prods in your heart. Because you never know – as Mother Teresa once said, your one small thing may offer someone a glimpse of great love.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” (Zechariah 4:10)

Will We Merely Satisfy … or Will We Sacrifice?

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{A quick note: Jillie won the random drawing of Ally Vesterfelt’s new book Packing Light! Jillie, please send me your mailing address!}

I’m reading Francis Chan again. Man, that Francis Chan. I love him, but I kind of don’t love him, too, you know? Because Francis Chan always gets me good where it hurts.

Chapter Four in Crazy Love is called “Profile of the Lukewarm,” and I knew when I saw that title, it was going to be bad. Real bad. I knew when Francis asked me, “Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words halfhearted, lukewarm and partially committed fit better?”  – I knew, it was going to get ugly. And I knew, when Francis asked me to take the lukewarm test, that I was going to fail.

So here’s the long and the short of it. Francis lists 16 descriptors of what he calls “the lukewarm people” —

The lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church…as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living.

The lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. 

The lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go and how much time, money and energy they are willing to give.

The lukewarm people ask, “How much do I have to give?” rather than, “How much can I give?” 

I know. Does it make you cringe? If you’re like me, you’re probably mad at Francis Chan for going there. I get all defensive, like Who does he think he is, Mr. Fancy Pants Francis Chan, making those kind of statements? I get mad, because I know he’s right.

Truth be told, of the 16 lukewarm descriptors, I hit 15 dead-on.

I am lukewarm. More like barely warm. Probably more like tundra.

When I looked hard at some of those descriptions, I saw a number of themes, but one in particular stood out: sacrifice.

I don’t sacrifice. I merely satisfy the bare minimum requirements of what I think defines a good Christian.

Man that hurts. But I know it’s true. When it comes to giving my time, my resources and my money, I aim for good-enough — enough to reassure myself that I am giving, that I am serving, that I am doing my Christian duty. Enough to convince myself that I am living as Jesus taught. Loving my neighbor. Caring for the poor. Supporting the orphan and the widow.

Enough to consider myself good-enough.

But as Francis Chan loves to point out, good-enough isn’t Jesus’ way, and it’s not what expects from us either.

“Take up your cross and follow me” is not a lukewarm command.

“Sell everything and give to the poor” is not a lukewarm command.

“Do not merely listen to the word…do what it says” is not a lukewarm command.

Jesus demands not merely satisfying, not halfway, good-enough, almost-there.

Jesus demands sacrifice. Good-enough is not enough.

So September is Blogger Month at Compassion International. Each week we blog on a particular topic — my topic this week was “sacrifice” — with the goal of inspiring and encouraging our readers to sponsor a child in need through Compassion. I’m not usually Preacher Miss Preachy around here, but Francis Chan got me fired up about sacrifice this week, and I do hope it inspires you to take that step, to make that sacrifice in order to love one of God’s children who so desperately needs help. If you’ve been feeling a bit lukewarm, like maybe you’ve been living a good-enough kind of faith, maybe this is your nudge. Please consider sponsoring a Compassion child today.