Holding Nothing Back

Silver and gold I have none, but what I have, I give to thee.
Acts 3:6 (NLT)
 

 

Yep, it's been one of those weeks.  Somehow I have managed to flood our washroom on five of the last seven days, and on one of the two days when it didn't flood, the showerhead flew off.  Power has been intermittent at best, and the internet almost unknown.  And this morning, I did a week's worth of cardio after walking into the web of a rather nasty-looking spider.  Whew. 

Speaking of power, we recently celebrated the arrival on our compound of a brand new generator, provided through the kind support of the Florida Division.  The workmen duly lowered the generator into position, only to discover that the structure in which it was to be housed was too small.  So, the workmen did the only reasonable thing.  They promptly demolished the structure and started to build a bigger one on the same site.  It's taking a bit longer than they expected because of daily thunderstorms, but they soldier on.  Actually, the storms have sometimes been violent enough to keep Ken pacing from window to window to check on the state of the large trees around our house.  Several times he's banished me to the back room just in case.  So far, though, I'm glad to say that ours is the little house that could. 

Despite the dicey electricity, I decided at one point this week to make large pot of chili, so that I could freeze small portions for us to eat on those days when meat isn't available.  So I set aside an afternoon for soaking, washing, chopping, and boiling.  I even dumped in the tin of  black beans I was saving for a special occasion.  Oh, the anticipation!

When the chili was done, I dipped my spoon into the simmering pot, blew gently on the mixture, and gingerly brought it to my lips.  Yikes!  It was so spicy I ran to the refrigerator to find something, ANYTHING, that would take away the burn.  Apparently, I badly underestimated the strength of our local spices.  Wow!  After many attempts to 'fix' the concoction, Ken put his distraught wife to bed with a promise to "take care of the problem."

Oddly enough, the chili was not in my kitchen the next morning, and neither of us has mentioned the episode since.

After all this, I had had enough.  But on Sunday morning, Ken and I got up, put on our best white uniforms, and went to our corps for Harvest Festival Sunday.  It was a good service, but about ninety minutes into it, something happened that we didn't expect.  We watched silently as hundreds (yes, hundreds) of men, women and children, one at a time, proudly brought their gifts to the altar.  Most were small monetary offerings, all of which were given joyfully, but one woman brought a chicken, another a bag of maize, and one man laid stalks of sugar cane next to the Mercy Seat.  These folks had no cash, but they still wanted to bring their gifts to God, to present Him with the first fruits of their harvest.
 

Tithes at the altar

Suddenly it hit me.  God can use anything for His glory.  Not just money or things or small birds, but pleasures, hardships, adventures, disappointments - nothing is wasted when it is given to Christ.  The key is just to give it.

Right now, I am again sitting in the dark, hoping that the power will come back before I lose more meat in the refrigerator.  But you know what?  I've already given it to Him.  The Lord can have my meat.  It's all His anyway, and knowing that gives me a whole new perspective.