You give God an inch, and He takes a mile!

A few days ago, we were sitting around the dinner table talking about how God has used us and our home to carry very sick children to the arms of Jesus. We were remembering the days following Esperanza's death, and how we said to God, "This is so hard, but if You ask us to do it again, we will."  And, in line with the character of God, He asked us to do it again...and again...and again!  As we discussed this, Daryl smiled and said, "You give God an inch, and He takes a mile!"  We all laughed and kept talking.

Over the next 24 hours, I thought about a lot about Daryl's comment.  And he was right!

When Daryl and I got married (over 28 years ago!  Wow!), we told God that we never wanted to accept or turn down a job due to the salary.  We gave Him that inch, and the mile He took: We had several pastor/youth pastor positions in which the salary was...well, not high.  But, God did great things in our lives during those years, and we wouldn't change it for anything.

God asked us to care for children who needed a family. We agreed, and He gave us 23 foster children in a 13 year period.  He asked to adopt, and when we said "yes", He had us adopt five children, in addition to our five biological children.  Then we told him that we would move to Guatemala and open up a group home for orphans with special needs, in addition to working with families who need help.  And now look what He did!

But what if we had NOT given Him those inches?  Look what we would have missed!

Reflecting back over my life, I know there were times that God asked me to give Him an inch, and I didn't.  I remember one specific time when He asked me to share my faith with a co-worker.  I was very young, and this co-worker was older and a man; I was intimidated, so I didn't do it.  There were different times when God asked me to give Him an inch with my finances, but I didn't.  There are many other examples.  But, oh, what if I had listened?  On what adventurous mile would God have taken me?  It's too late now to go back and do it over.  But what I CAN do is learn from my past, and always give God the inch that He desires in my present and future.

As we enter a new year, I would encourage you to give God the inches that He asks of you.  If you don't, He won't take a mile.  He won't even take an inch.  And you can stay "comfortable" right where you are.  But you will miss the joy and excitement of the mile-long GREAT ADVENTURES that He has planned for you!

Give God an inch, and He will take you on the mile of your life!

Sacrifice

"Are you really going to make two of your children move to another country in the middle of their senior year of high school?"
"Will your special needs children get as good of health care in Guatemala as do in the US?"
"Adolescence is such a difficult time to make a transition like this."

These are just a few of the comments we heard seven years ago when we told our family and friends that we were going to be moving to Guatemala.  Some people were shocked, and maybe a little disturbed, that we would ask our children to make such a sacrifice.

Well, here we are, getting ready to complete six full years here in San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Guatemala!  Have our children made sacrifices?  Sure, they have!  And they still are...


-They left behind a lot of friends...some of whom don't keep in contact anymore. (Difficult.)
-They don't get to spend much time with their grandparents who live in PA...only an occasional visit from Grandma and Pappy.  Their other grandma went home to be with Jesus a few years ago, and the kids were unable to go to NC for the funeral.  (Sad.)
-Our daughters who live in the States are going through early adulthood with parents and siblings far away.  They are having children of their own, without grandparents beside them to help. (Hard.)
-Carissa and Teisha finished their senior year of high school just a few months after moving here.  So, because we knew so few people here, they had no graduation ceremony or party.  (I feel terrible about that.)
-Taryn and Jeremiah turned 16 years old here.  They cannot drive or get a job here.  This has been a huge sacrifice, as they watch on facebook as all of their friends in the States are driving, working, and gaining more independence.  (Really hard.)  They have been back to Ohio only one time to visit friends.
-Joshua, Kimmie, and Jonathan have not been back to the US since we moved here; they remember   very little of life in the Untied States of America.  (Maybe not always such a bad thing.)
-It is much more challenging to find good health care here for spina bifida and cerebral palsy.
-Our kids have to share their rooms, their toys, their home, and their parents with 12 other children, and very needy children at that.  (Wow! Big one!)
-Our children have watched as four of their "siblings" have died.  True, they went on to perfect healing...to the arms of Jesus.  But that is a LOT of loss for any child to face!

Am I complaining?  No!  (Well, in my weak times, I do complain a little.)  Do the kids complain? Hardly ever!  Yes, they recognize the things they are missing.  And I'm sure at times they feel that loss.  But, wow!  They are troopers!  God made kids to bounce back with force.  If you raise your children to love and serve God...to have His heart for people and world...it is AMAZING what they can do...and do it with peace, joy, and excitement.

But what have our children gained?
-The knowledge and experience of another culture.
-A second language.
-Learning about poverty, malnutrition, special needs, death...and God's heart for all of these.
-Many more siblings!  And, believe it, or not, a large family has many, many advantages!
-Learning how to help care for younger siblings.
-Seeing God answer prayers in an amazing way.
-And the list goes on..
Jeremiah said it best a few weeks ago when he told me that he has gained so much more than he lost when we moved here.

As I said, the kids do have days when the feel the sacrifice more than other days.  But I don't see that as a bad thing.  It is important for children to make sacrifices; otherwise they grow up thinking they deserve what they have, and what others have, and so much more...and that never leads to good things!

God sacrificed His Son, to death on a cross!  Can't our children make a few small sacrifices to help benefit others who are in so much need?

Do your children a favor!  Help them to make some sacrifices for the benefit of others!  It will benefit your children as well!