Burn it all?

I woke up yesterday morning eager to share with my children the word that God put on my heart. I leaped out of bed and woke them all up. I sat them all down, oblivious to the fact that Ruben was on a very intense telephone call. I felt they really needed to hear this and they needed to hear it now! Once they all cleared the sleep out of their eyes and sat on the sofa I began to read, I Kings 19:19-21 NLT "So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, 'First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!' Elijah replied, 'Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.' So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant."

I then went on to explain to them that God was calling us to do the same. We can’t hold on to our lives here in the U.S if He is calling us to the D.R. We must burn it all. In our hearts and in our minds, we’ve got to give it all up. I felt the power of the Lord rising in me as I spoke. It was a special moment-for me anyway! The children have all crossed that road. Why then was the Lord speaking so strong?

Ruben later called me into the room to let me know that after much prayer, thought and counsel, he’d decided that we would only take the items we need for now with us and the rest would have to stay here. His words were like a shock to my system. I felt like a big fist had pounded me in the chest!

“You mean I have to leave the leather sofas?” I asked as I held back the tears.

“Yes sweetie, the sofas stay here.”

“And the dining room table that seats all of us and our friends so wonderfully?”

“Yes babe, the table too.”

“My computer cabinet?”

“That too.”

Perhaps you can see where this was going.

I had spent weeks talking to shipping companies and packing to move our household. My mind was in going in circles. Why was he changing his mind?

“Vicki, God wants us to trust Him. I don’t have peace from Him about moving everything.”

I couldn’t respond. I trust Ruben, I trust God. Yet my heart began to ache.

My day was spent packing our necessary items, then trying to figure out what to do with the rest! I don’t think that I’ve ever been stressed at that level before. I was cranky, I was mean, I was having an emotional breakdown. I pushed away loved ones and even grieved the Spirit that abides within me. My response was horrible.

Later that evening, Ruben saw my need to get away. He piled us all into the truck and took us to get ice cream. On the way home, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the scripture that I was so eager to read this morning. It was for me, not the children. They’ve burned their bridges. I was still holding on to mine.

After some prayer time with a wonderful friend, Pastor Dwight Linyear, Ruben and I were reminded that we can’t love both God and money. We can’t love both God and things.

How could I be so insensitive to what He was trying to tell me that morning? Following Him means to burn everything that will keep you from pursuing Him with your all. The sofas, the table, the cabinet, even my tea set hindered me from going after Christ’s will with all of my heart. All of the time spent on the phone, computer and faxes with shipping companies could have been better spent in the Word.

So now, I have no problem releasing the items. I don’t want anything to keep me from serving my Master with everything in me!

Vicki