Give it up

Giving did not come to me as a natural gift.  It's something I've prayed about for years.  I've always had this natural desire to keep and save.  Save and keep.  I would save my halloween candy for a year and only eat one piece at a time.  What a strange thing for a child to do.  I couldn't give up clothing, toys, old notebooks, or work books for anything.  I hauled stuffed animals around with me for until I was 21 years old and I met my husband.  He gave me a huge television box and told me to throw all the stuff I don't need into it.  I gasped and felt a twist in my gut.  What if throwing all that away made me forget what it was like when I was younger?  He gave me a much smaller box and said, "choose carefully".  What ended up happening was he went to work and then came home several hours later to me surrounded by a pile of nastalgia.  I was reminiscing over toys and pictures and shoes.  Oh, how I love shoes.  Below, you'll see my love of shoes looks like a taiwanese shoe store at the night market.  It's GLORIOUS!  Hahaha!

I eventually threw out, gave away, consigned several things and felt lighter.  I don't regret it, I don't look back and think about that thing I don't remember because I didn't need it if I don't remember it.  Make sense?  Anyways, I since have prayed about having a more generous heart with things, money, my talents, and time.  I don't mean spreading myself thin but I mean having a heart for people and investing in human hearts.  That of course, is what it's all about right?  What's the point of living on this beautiful earth if you are only going to take take take.  NOTHING.  If we aren't investing in relationships, what are we investing in?

I knew when God told Scott and I to open a salon, that he meant not to make us rich in money but rich in community.  He has led us in various ways to give and I'm so thankful God has transformed my heart from a scrooge to someone who loves to give.  We are humbled all the time by His perfect plan.