AFFIRMATIONS DIVINE

How much is too much?

How much is too much?  Well to start with, I guess it depends on what we’re talking about.  It seems like we humans like to quantify everything.

Growing up in the south, we missed very little school due to too much snow.  Maybe that’s why this beautiful snow scene nearly takes my breath away.

Or take water, for example.   We probably don’t drink enough of it.

Recently I read somewhere that by drinking too much water, a person could even drown their internal organs.  Naturally I had to snicker.  Who’s going to do that?   Not me, that’s for sure.  If I go overboard with water (no pun intended) I will be gagging.   That’s just the punishment my body doles out.

Moving on, now, to pain.  How much is too much?  Have you ever had so much pain (any type counts; emotional, physical, etc.) that you began to wonder how much more you could take without suffering serious consequences regarding your faith?

I have.   My issue has to do with people I love.   Simply put, it’s hard to give them up, let them go, to say goodbye.

How often in my lifetime am I going to have to say goodbye when I’m not ready.  Furthermore, I’m not likely to be ready – ever.  A little of life’s suffering is o.k.  I’ve even seen it help people become better.  But too much dark suffering might just do me in.  It might be too much.

Abraham would know exactly what I’m talking about.   To pass a test with God,  Abraham had to sacrifice Isaac.  Now that was a huge goodbye.

It had to be confusing, though, this particular assignment.  To start with, it had taken a lot of miracles just getting Isaac finally born, with all the age issues and such, and now, he had to kill him?

In the end God didn’t  make Abraham actually kill Isaac,  and the first time I heard that story in Sunday School class, I can not describe my sense of relief when God finally spoke up and told Abraham about the ram in the bushes.

The point was Abraham proved he was willing, and sometimes I don’t feel willing, because it might be too much.

Not long ago I mentally placed everyone I love on my mental altar, and gave them back to God.  My unwillingness was making me miserable.  Although I knew God had them anyway, I had to give up my expectations, my love for them, their love for me, their lives, and our future.  These were all areas  where I needed to symbolically transfer ownership.  The reason I did this was because there was a strong force inside which resisted it.   I wanted my faith back.

A strange thing happened.  Once I let go, I immediately remembered that  God didn’t ask Abraham to do anything that God, Himself, was not willing to do.  God gave the world his Son.  Now I have the privilege of letting his Son take care of my world.

God knows all of what He is doing, asking, taking, and giving.  Abraham didn’t.  Neither do I.  For now I only know a little part of what God is doing, but for now that’s enough, especially when it seems like too much is too much.

Robyn