hold on loosely...

It is with a heavy heart that I share today... the weather is very gloomy but that is not the reason for my sadness. Many of you may not know that my youngest daughter has been raising "Seeing Eye" puppies for the blind since she was 10. We have had 3 dogs in our care over the years; they do everything we do and go everywhere we go except out to eat and to the grocery store (those venues are saved for the advanced part of the training.) For the past 15 months, our family has been raising a Golden Retriever named Artie. For all you pet lovers, you know how attached we get to our animals. Well, today Artie left us to go back to his home in New Jersey to the "Seeing Eye" campus where he will undergo a series of medical exams and then begin his final 4 month training sessions with professional trainers. If Artie successfully completes his training and passes his medical tests, he will graduate at a ceremony in which we will be invited to observe but can not touch or call out to him. Needless to say, today has been a very tough day on all of us. But, I've noticed a quiet strength building in my now 15 year old daughter that I had not noticed before. Today, as we lifted Artie into the vehicle to take him away from us I watched a look of satisfaction come over my daughter's face that I had not seen in awhile. A look that said, "I've done my best; I've given my all...". As the Holy Spirit tends to move, my daily devotional was around the parable of the talents (Matthew 25).

The master entrusts his servants with gifts that do not belong to them but to him. The servants each pick a different path to take care of the gift. And then the master returns to collect... those who are deemed faithful by the master use their abilities and skills to multiply the gift; one servant buries the gift in the ground out of fear of the master. The master gives praise to the servants who multiply the gift; a sense of satisfaction comes over the master's face... can you see it? Take some time this week to study this parable; there is not enough space here to unpack the details.

Your students and your ministry to them are gifts from God; your church building and the resources that are provided by your church leadership are gifts from God. Nothing truly belongs to you or the "youth ministry". Everything belongs to God and his desire is for us to not hold on to tightly to what is rightfully his. He wants to see if we will be faithful with his "gifts" to us; what will we do with the "gifts" God has given to us? What will God find when he returns to collect his "gifts"?

We cared for Artie and loved Artie and made him part of our family with the knowledge that he did not belong to us; he was not ours to keep. It is our prayer that Artie makes it through the training so that he can help a vision impaired person live in freedom and joy. It's not easy to let go, or hold on loosely. But, the joy that comes from the satisfaction of knowing "we gave our best" is the best gift you or I will ever receive. Sorry for the long post... more on Artie later! Multiply the "gifts" and hold on loosely! Peace