You Can Give

You can give everyone your world, your time, your heart, your love, your attention, your joy, your positivity, your blood, your sweat, your tears, your years, your effort, your reality, your sanity, your best, your apology, your extra…

While you forget about-

Your vision, your dreams, your hope, your purpose, your needs, your growth, your pauses, your inhales, your exhales, your health, your worth, your connection with God, your rest, your preparations, your skills, your strengths, your gifts, your light… yourself…

Always do unto others-

But just don’t forget where you are supposed to GO, DO and BECOME.

I wrote this poem a couple of years ago. It was a reflection of life in its rawest. The truth is sometimes we can give until every ounce of energy is depleted leaving ourselves and our mission on empty. This can happen unconsciously or it can occur unrecognizably without notice. For many, it can be natural to look outwardly to see someone else’s needs and want to help. When you live long enough, you realize, everybody has needs. You realize this at an early age when you learn a simple lesson like how to share. Sharing teaches that the world doesn’t revolve around you and that others have similar wants and needs. But we can also share from a non-tangible place like sharing an open heart, lending an ear, being empathetic, or giving even a portion of your time. Inside of this, you can share deposits of joy, kindness, and love. These are the most intimate parts of ourselves we can share with any human. Believe it or not, it does require energy and the giving of oneself. 

Hebrews 13:16 NIV- And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

The light in young woman hands in cupped shape. Concepts of sharing, giving, offering, taking care, protection[/caption]

I want to take a moment out to honor those men and women that in and out of your own ups and downs in life, your pain seen or unseen, you have given your smile…. you have shared your hope… you have sacrificed sometimes even without acknowledgment or “true” appreciation from another. There’s perseverance behind what you do. And you’re not doing it for applause, or with the motivation of something in return, you’re doing it out of love. 

Proverbs 11:25 ESV– Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

FORGETTING THE SELF SET ASIDE FOR GOD’S PURPOSE

However, sometimes you can have the concerns of others on your mind SO MUCH that out of being a servant, you forgot who the person is staring back at you in the mirror. You forgot to nurture them, ask them how they’re doing, and see what God might be trying to communicate to them. You forgot to say no to certain invitations and instead yes to others. Or maybe you ignored walking through the door that God held open for you when you were too busy holding somebody else’s door open. 

When it all comes down to it, helping others is a beautiful thing that will always hold value. However, you also owe it to yourself to make sure the vision of your purpose remains clear and doesn’t become blurry or faded. You must make sure it’s executed so there are no regrets. Oftentimes times we set aside the beautiful gift that God had meant for us to share with the world while we help develop other people’s beautiful gifts. If developing anothers gift by being a teacher, coach, or trainer is a part of your purpose well then you’re on the right path. But if you are to go, do, and build in a whole other direction, just make sure you haven’t lost sight of your ultimate path. Be careful not to run yourself into the ground going in the wrong direction. But in addition, remember that your plan from God should never be missing from the world because you absolutely do have something significant to share whether it’s big or small. 

When I think of giving of oneself, I think of Jesus. He gave truth, love, wisdom, healing, and the greatest of all his life so that we too may live with him in paradise when we believe in. Alongside all this he was also fixed on the assignment his Father had specifically for him. He could have gone about and entirely lived his own life in Nazareth. He could have also avoided the pressures of inviting many to follow him and instead embraced the pleasures of life. But rather, he set himself aside knowing he would be the perfect living sacrifice in place for man’s sins as the purpose for his very existence.

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT

As this year comes to a close, since I talk about purpose a lot, I want you to take the time and review the year 2023. When you look at it, I want you to see where you have been there for others but perhaps you left yourself to the wayside. These are some examples of where we become so busy that we can loose sight where we’re supposed to be;

• Have you ever stayed up late into the night, tending to, and being fixated, and worried about the health and safety of your loved ones while lacking sleep?
• Are you running around trying to make every playdate, birthday party, practice, event, and game you can make without a moment to breathe?
• Are you agreeing to be present in off-peak hours, to take that extra appointment, make that additional meeting while raising your hand to take on that project you feel no one will understand to do as well as you?
• Are you giving advice, counseling, or being a sounding board, calming someone’s pains, and emotions while you suffer from your own but don’t have time to acknowledge them?
• Do you help everyone else reach their goals, aspirations, and passions while forgetting about your very own success through Christ?
• Have you pushed your own health, diet, and rest to the side to focus on anything else you considered more important?
• Have you listened to and followed everyone else’s voice, direction, and opinion instead of what God would be speaking to you directly?

FINAL THOUGHTS

As human beings, we need to understand that we can easily neglect ourselves along with what God has been speaking to us. And the more this happens, the more it will catch up to us until we eventually fall apart and break down to finally notice. So remember to ask yourself as you wrap up this year to begin the next, are you taking proper care of yourself? And have you taken notice, to the prompting, gumption, and leading that God has placed on your heart to do something with him? (That which was assigned to specifically you since you were a child that is new, untapped, and extraordinarily unique). And will you still chase after this very special dream which is yours? In other words, will you still GO, DO and BECOME?

Follow your dream text written on road in the mountains[/caption]

Colossians 3:23 ESV– Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,