Giving all we’ve got    

 

Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

 

We all have a tendency for complacency with mediocrity. We set our own limits to what we can do and then never even try to do more, because we are convinced this is enough. When I was 9 months pregnant with my fourth baby, Lilly, I realized that I always have more to give. It was a beautiful, hot summer day and I waddled over to the school to fly a kite with my three boys, ages 6, 6, and 4 and we took along my two nephews, who were around the same age. Since I was so pregnant and miserable, I assured them this was all I could do that day, no bike ride, no walk, just standing and flying a kite. They soon grew tired of this mundane activity and my youngest, Charlie, took over, while the other boys went to play with some friends on the school's play-set. He had all the string out on the kite and was trying to hold the plastic handle with one finger. It was quite windy and we had slowly made our way across the playground to the street opposite of our house. In an instant, it slipped off his finger and soared through the sky, headed back toward our house – and the power lines. I jumped up from the ground, where I was lounging in my pregnant misery, and started sprinting after the kite. The children all started running after me, laughing and yelling. I'm sure we were quite a sight; pregnant lady running after a kite, stream of children running after and heckling the pregnant lady. “Is that all you've got?” my nephew yelled.

 

Is that all you've got? Obviously if I had been asked that question 5 minutes earlier, I would have wallowed in my exhaustion and said, yes, this is all I have to give today. But when I was called upon to avert the inevitable catastrophe, I had plenty to give. Couldn't you give a little more? With God's help, we all have more to give. Whether we can do more with our time, give more financially, share more of our gifts, pray for one more person today, give five more minutes to our children – God will give us the strength to not only survive the circumstances, but to persevere and give even more.

I did catch the handle of the kite, with a few leaps and jumps at the end, just as we reached the other side of the playground. It didn't get tangled in the power lines, I didn't pass out from exhaustion, and if they would have been able to I'm sure all of the children would have put me on their shoulders and paraded me around. Every child from the playground was cheering and laughing and I realized I always have more to give...just give me a minute to catch my breath.

 

Dear Lord, we praise you for how wonderfully you have made us. Thank you for providing us with the strength we need to give a little more every day. - Amen.

 

Reprinted from “Daily Devotional Guide March 2010 By Members and Friends of the Congregation

Of Sheldon United Methodist Church”