What If I Give All I Have?

This old Ray Boltz tune always makes me cry. When he sings about the Son talking to His Heavenly Father with the words, “What if I give all I have? What will that gift do? My child, a gift like that could change the world, it could feed a multitude.” Whew, that’s pretty powerful when you think of what Christ gave up for us. It surely feeds my soul and multitudes of others, too.

But…what if we did give all to Him? I mean really give Him all of ourselves and what we have. Would it feed a multitude? I’ve got to tell you that I held some things pretty close over the years and didn’t want to give them up, but when I finally did the multitudes were fed.

Which brings me to a story about my only daughter, Leah. When she was around 7 years old she began telling us she wanted to be a missionary some day. I guess she’d seen and heard plenty of them in our church and even in our home as we entertained and had some stay with us for a while. She learned they were just normal people with different hearts tuned in to where God would send them to serve. Little did I know…she was serious.

As she grew up and graduated from high school I could tell she was praying for a plan. She had a boyfriend and I thought that would be the end of the missionary idea. She would settle down, get married, and have kids right here in the US of A. But she was praying for something different. As she left for college she turned her attention to earning a teaching degree. She had been on a mission trip to the Philippines and really took it all into her heart and mind. I think even then, she was praying for God to use her in a way no one else could.

Now as I think back on how God’s plan unfolded over the following years, I know it was perfect for her. She married a wonderful young man who went to seminary in our town. They began to pray about where God could use them best. Taking the initiative to go on camping adventures as campers then as leaders in Canada, they developed a love for the concept. After they served as camp programmers for two summers at a Christian camp, I thought, Ah, this is where they’ll land. But no, that wasn’t the final destination either.

Through much prayer and research, they became convinced that God wanted them on the foreign mission field—in Romania. OK, Lord, that’s a little too far away! I thought to myself when I heard the news. That wasn’t MY plan for them. Man, I was holding on tighter than ever. I was also thinking about my daughter’s three lovely children who were such a blessing to us. How could God take them away to a foreign place? Where’s the manual that goes with this part of parenting?

Eventually, my husband and I had to realize WHOSE they were. We only had parenting rights for a few short years; they were really God’s kids. Letting go was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I kept praying they’d change their minds; after all, this was my only daughter! But realizing the impact they would have on the thousands of kids they’d touch as camp directors in Romania, we knew we had to let go and let God! It was quite a trip coming to that conclusion, but four years later I can see the Lord in it all as the master planner. We learned how to let go and it taught them to do the same. It wasn’t any easier for them to leave all of us. It was a two-way street.

So what if you gave all? Maybe it’s a child, or a mom and dad, and maybe it’s all of you. God doesn’t ask us to give what we have left, He ask us to follow Him, pure and simple. Are you willing to give it up for Him? All of it?

Thank you, Lord, for opening our eyes up to free our kids for service. Thank you for giving them the hearts to serve. Thank you for being the One who comforts in times of need and loss. Thank you for showing us how to give our all!