Being “All In” is Different for each of us

Diane and I will be celebrating our 29th anniversary in a few weeks.

I think of a certain song all the time when I think about our marriage.  It’s a Brad Paisley song about how much he loved a girl when he first met her. Then he says when he proposed to her, his love for her was so much greater than it was when they met. Then they get married and he realizes his love for her when he proposed paled in comparison to how he loves her when they get married.  His lyrics then go like this:

I can just see you
With a baby on the way
I can just see you
When your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see
Is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.

(You can watch it here- https://youtu.be/etnXccIRhpE )

I believe that’s what we hope for in our relationship with Jesus.  I was “All In” when I went into the ministry 8 years ago.  Our family moved to Mason, WV – to a place we’d never heard of, leaving a church we’d been a part of for 22 years.  And God left us in Mason for 6 wonderful years.  Then 2 years ago we were all in when we left the church and community we loved to move to another place we’d never heard of.  And here we are in Short Gap, beginning our third year.  I’m pretty sure we’ll be here at least 2 or 3 more years until Diane finishes her bachelor’s degree at Frostburg State and Adam gets his culinary degree from Allegany College of Maryland.  But being all in and giving yourself completely to Jesus is unpredictable.

But when you do give yourself completely to Him, He blesses you to be able to love Him more, and to allow you the insight to want to give more of yourself to Him.  And it doesn’t mean you didn’t love Him with all your heart and give Him all of yourself before. You may have given all you were able to give.  You just have more awareness now, He has trusted you with more, and are able to give more of yourself to give back to Him than you were able to before.  And He does want more.  And the amazing truth is that as you continue to be all in, He will bless you more and give you more so that you can give more of your life back to him.  

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