Lavish…abundant…extravagant…love <3

Good morning!

I spent the day with the fab four yesterday and I have to tell you…kudos to the young moms and dads out there who do this on the daily. 

You all need to be told several times every single day that raising up little ones and keeping them alive, fed, loved and in one piece by bedtime is just about the hardest job on the planet and you are doing a great job. So turn up some fun music and cut yourself some slack on the negative self-talk and just remember…you will look back and actually MISS this…crazy…I know. 

I think we look back because our rear view is able to filter out what was hard and ugly, and emphasizes what was good about the past. 

We can see it in the people Moses was leading through the desert. The people started whining about having to eat manna every day and waxed fondly on the leeks and such of Egypt. 

I penned in the margin of my Bible once how they must have forgotten the part about the bricks made without straw…or the slavery….or the oppression. 

But in the new uncomfortable season, all of the past discomfort was forgotten and they got cranky asking God where that “abundant life” He promised had gotten hijacked. 

I do the same.

All. The. Time.

I thought about this recently as I have been trying to use up at least ten different facial creams I have purchased and let accumulate. Each one came out a fairly decent cost and so I would use them sparingly trying to get my money’s worth. 

After a short time, the product seemed to not live up to its reputation, so I would try a new one. 

With similar results. 

I finally decided I just needed to use up what I have and not purchase anything else until the drawer is empty. 

With that motivation in mind, I began to apply these various creams and potions liberally and guess what?

My skin started responding in a positive way.

Turns out the product is great…but I have to use it liberally…not stingily. (Is that a word? It is now.) 

And so one morning as I lathered on a decent amount of product, God whispered into my heart…it’s kind of like My grace gifts.

Yes, indeed…it is. 

God gives His love and mercy and grace LAVISHLY…and I take it and apply it to myself and to others like there is a limited supply. 

It was expensive and so I tend to horde it….but this was never the intent of His love for me and for others. 

It is the most precious and costly gift He has given us but like Ebeneezer Scrooge, we must learn to live it and love it out in big, extravagant ways. 

We can’t out give what God has given us.

Our time, our love, our resources, our gifts, our talents…all that we are…given lavishly out of love for the One who loved extravagantly. 

Be blessed today by the GRACE gifts HE gives YOU in abundance <3