This month one of the things we’ve been challenged to do is each week to sacrifice something for the entire week. It could be something that is a luxury to you that the people in the country we are staying in don’t always have that same accessibility (ex. Having hot showers, washing machines, spending money on snacks). Or you could choose to sacrifice something that is keeping you distracted from growing closer in community with God (ex. getting up an extra half an hour each day to spend it with God). I’ve been paying more attention to how much more simply life can be lived through these weeks of giving things up. I’ve also been noticing a lot of areas where sacrifices have been made for the good of the Kingdom.
Where have I seen sacrifices?
- In Mathew 4, Jesus calls upon Peter and Andrew to follow him. They had to leave their father, their boats, their livelihood to come follow Jesus. They had to sacrifice the comfortability of the life they knew to make a huge step for the Kingdom of God.
- In Matthew 10, Jesus sent out his disciples. He sent them out to minister to the lost people of Israel. He told them to bring no money and to pack light. To trust God to provide for all their needs. The disciples had to sacrifice everything thing they owned in order to complete the traveling ministry Jesus was asking of them to do.
- Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice by trading his life in place for our sins, because He knew the importance of bringing us back into the redemption of God’s presence again.
- The people we are helping at Pan de Vida are mostly Venezuelans and Colombians who have had to leave their country for safety. A women I met, Derbelis traveled to Ecuador with a one year old, Israel. She was a business women with a steady income in Venezuela, but had to leave due to increased violence in her city. She sacrificed everything to walk here with her baby in hand in hopes for a better life.
- A women who volunteers at the program, Monse told God that she would sacrifice Sunday’s and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s to Him to help at the program. It didn’t matter how late she worked at the hospital the day of or before. She would make doing God’s work a priority.
- My squad of racers have left their jobs, friends, and families to come on this race. Many of sacrificing missing monumental moments at home (weddings, birthdays, vacations, babies being born) all to give this year to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Here’s the beautiful thing I have seen through the art of sacrifice. Not ever through these sacrifices have I seen people go without. When you are making sacrifices for the Kingdom, God will always provide above and beyond!
Personally, one thing I’ve had to sacrifice is my pride. I do not like asking people for help in many things, especially finances. Coming on the race required me to humble myself to God trusting hands to reach out to others to ask for support. It has been a stretching experience for me to see how God provides in the small and the big. He is showing me how to praise Him with every donation that comes in. He is reminding me that it’s not about the money. It’s about releasing all trust to Him similar to Matthew 10, to see how He will show up in mighty ways I didn’t even expect.
So here is where I release my pride, and am ready to see God show up! I am still in need of $2,200 to reach my $13,000 deadline. I am also $7,400 away from being fully funded.
If every Facebook friend I have (950 people) would choose THIS week to sacrifice ONE morning coffee run to Starbucks or Dunkin or ONE fountain soda from the gas station; and instead give that $2.50 towards my race I would surpass my $13,000 deadline!
So here’s where my bold request comes in. Would you be willing to give up one coffee drink this week to donate $2.50? That small amount seems like nothing, but it is doing something BIG for the Kingdom of God! That $2.50 will keep me on the field to continue doing the work He’s called me to.
If you’d like to give, you can give directly through the ‘Donate’ tab on my page. If you’d like updates every time I blog, you can also subscribe on my page as well! As always, I am so thankful for you all for taking the time to read my blogs, pray for my squad and I, and for supporting this journey. I couldn’t do it without you!
Much love,
McKenzie
