One Thousand Gifts: Immeasurably More

Some books simply entertain, coaxing your imagination with far off places and fictional characters that seem to come to life in your mind.

Others make you think, perhaps even long and hard, as they instruct the mind. They challenge your beliefs, and make you question your attitudes and actions. If it’s truth well-spoken into a heart open to receive, their words can leave a lasting impression that may even shape the course of your life.

Few make you act. Real, tangible, physical action. Impacting your world so completely that there is a noticeable before and after. Radical by Pastor David Platt has been that sort of book for us.

We read Radical nearly two months ago, and we knew instantly that our lives would never be the same. As the subtitle states, we are actively taking back our faith from the American dream.

There are so many different ways to live radically, depending on your gifts, talents, means and personal circumstances. We knew we had to look to God to guide us, and we are continuing to do so. But one thing seemed obvious: in our pursuit of the American dream, we had accumulated too much stuff. You know the kind. The boxes and boxes that sit in your basement for years on end, filled with things that are waiting for the day that you just might need them. In the meantime, thousands of children are dieing every day and living without the most basic of necessities: food and clean water. We knew we had to do something.

So we’ve been busy unearthing the treasures. Some things are only fit for the garbage. Most will be donated to the Salvation Army, where they will do a lot of good for others through that wonderful ministry. The best things are being sold on eBay. The Legos were the first to go this week, and I never dreamed it would be so fun. Bids poured in and the dollar figure of the expected sales grew each day.

Right from the start we knew we had to determine how much money we would keep and how much we would give. Hands down, the four of us decided that we could do no less than give it all.

World Vision was our Christian charity of choice. At first we hoped for sheep and goats. We dreamed of oxen and a plow. We listed our items, prayed big prayers, and waited in eager anticipation at what God would do through Legos and eBay. We saw the needs of the children and wanted to give much. But God is the provider. Our hope is in Him.

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To say God provided would be an understatement. I want so much to share the bigness of what God did, but I also want to be faithful to let our giving be done in secret (did I already ruin that by sharing?). Suffice it to say that our hope is a mere pittance and our dream was blown out of the water. God has blessed us with the ability to give beyond what we could have asked or even imagined. I am tickled to the bone about this and filled with so much gratitude that my whispers of gratitude have become shouts of praise.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21

And the list humbly continues:

370. day at the beach
371. rescuing wind-tossed umbrella

379. stopping to read historical markers along the way

383. studying Ruth with Beth Moore’s Siestas