bigger

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Tis the season for charitable giving appeals to fill our mailboxes and inboxes and "missed" calls. From colleges to churches, missions to cures...

I actually find it quite easy to sort these appeals into 3 categories: 
  • trash (I can't give to everyone), 
  • the 'I'd like to give and maybe I will' pile (there are way too many in this pile), and 
  • I'm headed to my computer right now to donate (there are a select few who make the list year after year).
One letter came this week from an organization that I love with the fullness of my heart: A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP). I served with ACMNP at the Grand Canyon where I had the easiest, funnest summer-with-Jesus of my life. And I served with ACMNP at Yellowstone where I had the hardest, deepest, most life-changing, catapult me into wholeness summer of my life. Both experiences were instrumental to the life of ministry I have today and I wouldn't change a minute of either one. 

I have given two summers but never money to this organization. But as I looked at this appeal letter, the stories and photos it contained, from my heart spilled this desire: 
I want to give a million dollars to ACMNP.

I remind you that I've never given them so much as 20 dollars. And I certainly don't have a million that I could give them today. I've never even wanted to give anyone a million dollars before. But I so very earnestly desire to give ACMNP this. And not in an "if I had a million dollars" kind of way. But in a really, real "God make this happen" way.

And so, I WILL give them a million dollars.
If I have to live and work for 100 more years, I will give them a million dollars.
If I have to start with 20 dollars today, I will give them a million dollars.
If I have to get hired as their development officer or fund-raise on my own, I will give them a million dollars.
God WILL make it possible.

But even though I really do plan on seeing this dream through, I don't think it's really about the money. I think God put this desire on my heart to challenge me to dream bigger. To want more out of this life. To want everything He wants to give. Which is far more than I can dream on my own. 

EMBRACE BIGGER.

What is your biggest dream?


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