Giving up YOUR Desires

We went school shopping yesterday--always a fun day for me to take out the girls and let them pick out their paper, notebooks, folders, etc. I'm not sure why that's such a blast for kids, but it really is. Then we go to lunch somewhere fun and spend the afternoon getting their tennis shoes for the year and a couple of outfits. We had such a blast, and the girls actually remembered to say thank you after we left EVERY store. It was really unbelievable!

Our last stop of the day was the Bible bookstore to spend gift cards they had received. They were so excited to see what they could get for their money. As soon as we walked in the door, Jadyn saw a book she knew I wanted and immediately offered to use her money to buy it for me. She argued with me for a minute or two, then was convinced she should use it for something she wanted. They went through the store choosing several items, and for once, Courtney was ready well before Jadyn. Courtney wasn't aware of the conversation with Jadyn, but she saw the same book she knew I wanted. Without my knowledge, she put back a CD she had been wanting for over a year and purchased the book for my birthday. Unfortunately, I didn't know and when I asked to see the CD in the car I was rewarded with tears and "I didn't want you to know. I wanted it to be a surprise!" I felt terrible, but also so grateful for such unselfish little girls.

I'm not telling you this to brag on my kids. Really. Today, she reminded me what totally selfless giving is all about and got me thinking about how often I act that way in my life. Of course, I would give up anything for those I love, but what about those I don't know? What about those who don't like me or treat me well? The Bible says to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us. Do I act like that?

And let's take it a step further. Am I willing to give up my own desires for my Heavenly Father? If I really want to do something, would I give that up if I know God would have me do something else? Even in small matters, like how we spend our extra money. Do I use it all for His glory and good? I hope so. It's easy to say I would give up my own desires for Him, but when we're in that specific situation where it's something we really, really want and it seems soooo "right", do we give it up for Him?