Giving is on my mind a lot lately.
Gift giving . . .a little.
I’m excited about giving gifts to those of you who entered one of the giveaways I have posted lately! In case you didn’t hear the latest – you could win the gift of some free shopping from Nicole Gibboni, a Christian Bling Consultant. If you make a purchase from her website www.ctbling.com/HisGoodness and use the party code 1825; you are automatically entered to be the hostess and win free shopping! I am absolutely loving the Meditative Palm Cross as a Stocking Stuffer for teen boys and grown men. It’s only $12.00 and such an awesome, prayerful, masculine gift! Definitely check it out and get some Christmas shopping done!
And I do have a small amount of gifts bought I’ll be giving at Christmas . . .
But, honestly, giving is on my mind in a more somber way.
I have been wondering . . . what is the difference between “Giving it to the Lord” and “Giving Up”?
I feel like my husband and I are going to have to make some choices about our adoption plan and decide where to put our energy, money and time . . . and I don’t know where God wants me to give up – or if He does at all.
In a sense, if I “give it to God” . . . isn’t that another way of saying, “I’m done. If it’s meant to happen; it will. I don’t need to try anymore.”?
That sounds like giving up to me.
So here I am. Confused.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy and grateful. I have a wonderful husband and we have been given the greatest son! We love him and we all love one another. We are blessed, and I can not put into words how grateful I am to God that he gave me this vocation of motherhood.
But even our son talks about having a baby brother AND a baby sister.
Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever wondered what God wants you to do next . . . and what He wants you to let go of?
I feel like I need to ask the Lord more than “open all the right doors and close all the wrong ones.”
I’m actually overwhelmed with awe and gratitude for all of the open doors! I think that is my dilemma . . . we can’t go through them all!
How do I “give it to God” and not be giving up?
Is it as simple as the Serenity Prayer?
God, grant me the serenity to
accept the things I can not change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.
I really need wisdom!
In the meantime, I’m enjoying what I have been given. Christmas time with a four year old is pretty awesome 🙂
If you have any wisdom, please share it with me! I ask you to pray for our family – with the hope that it will grow, but most of all that we will know God’s will and embrace it joyfully.
I also hope you are inspired to give a “Spiritual Stocking Stuffer”! Please, enter all the giveaways, I’m excited to give these awesome gifts away!
Spiritual Stocking Stuffers for Women
Spiritual Stocking Stuffers for Men
Spiritual Stocking Stuffers for Children and Teens
As always, thank you so much for reading this post!
May we all joyfully give to the Lord and others this Advent!
You know that is the hardest thing to do. Leave things alone and let God handle it. I was told a story once about how a child gives their parent a toy to fix and then before the parent can fix it, the child pulls it away to do it themselves. This happens over and over and the toy takes even longer to get fixed because the child doesn’t leave it with the parent to just fix it. Things we want the Lord to fix is like a toy and I try to remember that I am pulling it out of His hands every time I try to fix it once more. I remind myself that I have done all that I can and now I need to be patient and let the Grown-up fix it. I have done this especially with money and vanity issues, although finally, finally when I start to reach for that worry think of the toy and pull my hand back. – Hugs and Prayers
Such wonderful, great advice that I truly needed to hear! Thank you so very much Alicia! <3
“Letting go and letting God” is not quite the same as giving up. It’s the scary moment where we are pushed to place all our trust in Him – in His will, His plan for us, and His goodness. If you have done everything *you* can do, then you aren’t giving up. You are modeling Mary’s surrender and Fiat – acknowledging that we are but pieces in this game of life. We are not the game master. And, as scary as it may be to place everything at His feet (literally and figuratively) and say, “Okay, God, it’s your show now,” think of the difficulty Mary must have felt as well!
Enjoy your Christmas time – like you, we have a 4 year old chomping at the bit for “all things Christmas”! It is quite fun, and I’m intrigued as to whether or not he’ll be this excited on a day we go track down Santa!!
That’s exactly what I am thinking – enjoy this Christmas time with the beautiful family I have presently! Sounds like the best plan! Good luck on Santa day my friend 🙂
The only thing you give up when you let go is the stress. Gods will is going to be done (unfortunately not on our time!) either way, so let go and let God take control 😉
I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and if it meant to be it will happen. Have fun and enjoy life.