July 23, 2019
I have a tendency to lose things. Surprisingly, this is a new trait for me. In my 30’s- I’m now much more worried about keeping humans alive and making sure there is food in our cabinets than being cognizant I have left my keys in the door, or even worse, my wallet at Target (#doneit) I leave it all: my keys, my phone, my make up, my purse, my luggage. To be so Type A, I could lose my head if it wasn’t so tightly screwed on. Ironically, the big stuff- I don’t lose. I’ve never left a kid behind, or my husband, or my car. But whether it’s big or small- I would never intentionally leave anything behind- an item or a person- it’s all too valuable to me so I hold on tight. When it’s lost, I look till I can find it. When it’s misplaced, I search till it’s with me again. What’s cool about some of my favorite people in the Bible- is that they are the direct opposite of me. The ones who meet Jesus, who are in His contact- well, they willingly leave it all behind. From the woman at the well who leaves behind her water jars to the fishermen who drop their nets and their means of income- all these individuals connect with the Living God and forget about any and everything else. I often wonder- in light of their example- what would I be willing to leave behind in the name of Jesus? Could I drop that purse and run? Could I leave behind the money, the comfort, the convenience? Some days I think I could follow Jesus wherever He would lead me; other days I recognize how selfish I am and feel burdened by the fact that I would be angry about being asked to give up anything. But why? These characters in the Bible immediately recognized that Jesus offered so much more than water to quench thirst or water to catch fish. He was the Living Water and His life would bring meaning to theirs. His promises and His love would be the reason for all of it- so why wouldn’t they willingly, or even eagerly, leave it all behind to go and tell any and everyone who would listen? I’m so thankful for their example- for what it teaches. That I have to let go, to lean in- that the Lord demands nothing more than all of me and that His love is worth more than anything else I could ever leave behind.
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