giving things up for God

I miss my family.  I'll shout it from the rooftops if I could see them today.  I have not seen them in almost two months.  I know that sounds insane but seriously, we are all so close.  I cannot imagine how my brother and sister-in-law do it (they live in North Carolina).  All I want to do is get a hug from my parents and kiss on my nieces and nephews and just be able to SEE my family.

I was lying in my bed thinking about them when, of course, I started getting teary-eyed.  I heard God ask me, "What would happen if they were not here tomorrow?"  That is when I started bawling.  I could not imagine my life without my family the way that it is now!  I miss them terribly, but what would happen if I no longer had them at all?  Why was God asking me this question?  Why was He putting me through the possibility of never seeing my family again, when that is all I longed for?!  But, I suddenly realized, He wasn't putting me through any of that to put me through pain, He was asking me could I live with only God in my life?  Was I able to give all of these people who mean so much to me, to God?  I not only have been purging my life of things that mean nothing to be but God was asking me to give those who are dearest to me over to Him.  That is a hard pill to swallow.

I am sure as parents, most people would say that they needed to be with their children all the time just to make sure that their children were safe.  Trust me, I just had this conversation with my mother.  But, God does not ask us to hold on to those thins.  He actually asks us to give those things over to Him because He has a plan for those people.  He asks us to trust that He is taking care of them.  Who better to take care of those that we hold dearest to us, than Him?  That night I felt a peace of knowing that if my family were gone tomorrow, that I will still be satisfied with just God.  I say that like it's a bad thing.  I will be satisfied with Just God!  How can I live a life WITHOUT God?  So, I am satisfied with God.  I don't need anything else.  I want those people in my life because I love them so much it hurts.  But, being asked that question brought a new perspective in my life that I never thought possible.  He not only was asking me to give those people over to Him but He was asking me to give ME over to Him.  Ha.  Gladly!  Thank you God for asking me the difficult questions so I know that You are who I can lean on. :)