Material for Sacrifice

Recently my cousin, who is so supportive of my endeavors, asked me how the blog was coming. I had to admit it wasn't. This just isn't my blogging season. There are a lot of details swirling around the Smith household with normal home responsibilities, farming, planning for Emma's wedding which is just about 10 weeks away, caring for my grandmother, and school starting for the kids next week, and so brain cells have had to be pulled from the "Blog" brain file to be utilized in other areas. All that for this, I wish I had a good and long post to publish here, but I don't. It is just a simple (yet not so simple) principle that I read a few weeks ago that was impressed upon me then and has continued to do so. It is from the book "Passion and Purity" by Elisabeth Elliot, one of my all-time favorite books, and one I couldn't recommend more (age suggestion would be 18+). I was reading the chapter "Material for Sacrifice" and read the following. 

"What has been like water from the well of Bethlehem to you recently? Love, friendship, spiritual blessing? Then at the peril of your soul you take it to satisfy yourself. If you do, you cannot pour it out before the Lord. How am I to pour out spiritual gifts, or natural friendship, or love? How can I give them to the Lord? In one way only-in the determination of the mind, and that takes about two seconds. If I hold spiritual blessings or friendship for myself they will corrupt me, no matter how beautiful they are. I have to pour them out before the Lord, give them to Him in my mind, though it looks as if I am wasting them, even as David poured the water out on the sand, to be instantly sucked up."

Mrs. Elliot goes on to say,                                                                                                                                 "Chambers's (the above quote comes from his book "My Utmost for His Highest") reference is to the story of David's sudden longing when he was hiding from his enemies in the cave of Adullam, for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem. Three of his men risked their lives to pass through the Philistines' line and get it for him. David poured it out on the ground, refusing to "drink the blood" of his men.                                                                                                                                                              God gives us material for sacrifice. Sometimes the sacrifice makes little sense to others, but when offered to Him is always accepted...Our offerings to Him may very likely be seen as senseless or even fanatical, but He receives them. Jesus receives the precious ointment from the worshiping woman, although those present thought it a foolish waste...I have tried to explain it sometimes to people who are lonely and longing for love. "Give it to Jesus," I say. The loneliness itself is material for sacrifice. The very longings themselves can be offered to Him who understands perfectly. The transformation into something He can use for the good of others takes place only when the offering is put into His hands.        What will He do with these offerings? Never mind. He knows what to do." 

I know, that was a lot. I had to read over the quote from Oswald Chambers several times to grasp what he was saying, but personally, it boiled down to this, what is it in my life that needs to be offered up to the Lord as my "material for sacrifice? A dream? Loneliness? A secret love? From personal experience, there is such a peace when my "sacrifice" is laid on the altar and burned before the Lord. Keeping it to myself shows such a lack of faith; doubting that Christ will do the best for me with my "offering". He knows what to do with my "sacrifice". I can leave them with Him, trust Him with them. My encouragement to you is to look deep in the heart and find what needs to be offered up to your Heavenly Father.

"Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord." Psalm 4:5