a lesson in giving it to Him

I believe I may have mentioned once or twice that I learn things at a snail's pace?  I've got a good lesson that I want to share with y'all.

Some of you may have an 'ah-ha' moment, and some of you may think I'm crazy, but here goes ...

Something I've struggled with over the years in owning the store is pride.  Of course I'm proud of the store and my accomplishments, and it's been exciting to know how others love this place I've created.  And part of that is just natural and okay ...

But it seems {and of course took me too long to realize} the pride I felt was starting to turn into a sinful type of pride.  An arrogance if you will.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. {Proverbs 11:2 NIV}

One of the reasons I never wanted to sell the store is because I didn't want to lose that feeling of pride when someone found out I owned "Broadway Paper" {read that in a most sarcastic voice}.  And honestly, there were many times I wouldn't even tell people that I owned the store.  So even if they didn't know I was the owner, I'd still be screaming with glee that they loved {read with sarcasm} my store.

Well ... we all know I've given that up because I've decided to sell the store.  Right?

Wrong.

I mean yes, I have decided to sell the store.  But oh my word! was I an idiot in how I went about it.  I was so arrogant and prideful.

And what? with 8{ish} people interested in the store before it was even 'live' with the broker ... didn't I have every right?

No.  The answer is no.

Some downfalls?  I thought it could sell for more than I was told {based purely on nothing more than my pride}.  I wanted to be the one to talk to all interested parties, because I just knew the broker wouldn't do justice in talking about my store ... and I needed to make it absolutely clear what a bargain they would be getting and how lucky they would be to have my store.

I ended up making a couple of calls and I really talked up the store ... very arrogantly, and very pridefully.

And then guess what happened?  Absolutely nothing.

No more interest.  No more calls.

At the same time, I got sick and handed everything over to the broker.  I didn't have a choice at that point.  I didn't hear anything for a couple weeks, so gave him a call to find out what was going on.

"Nothing," he answered.  "There's no interest right now."

I had a long talk with God.  He showed me just what an idiot I'd been.  First, so prideful.  Second, so in control.  I'd not really prayed about it at all.  There was all this interest and I just knew it was going to sell ... no problem!  No reason to pray about it.  I had it all under control.

I was wrong.  And I apologized ... big time!  I told the Lord that I'm giving it to him.  He can have it, I can't do it anymore.

And do you know what?  The very next day, I got an email from someone who used to work at the store before I owned it.  She stopped in the store {this is while I was at Mayo}, they told her the store was for sale and gave her my card to contact me.  She said she was very interested.

I forwarded her note to my broker.  He emailed back to say he had two very interested buyers as well.

I've got goosebumps just thinking about it.  God is good.  We just need to remember he's there to take it from us.  To take care of us.  He has a plan, and if we don't give him our situations, problems, questions ... our lives ... then he can't continue with his plan.

We need to learn to give it to Him.  Everything.  He is there to take our loads, our heavy burdens and carry them for us.

"Unload all your worries onto him, since he is looking after you." {I Peter 5:7 JB}

I'm reading an awesome book {thank you Marta} from Max Lucado called 'Traveling Light' releasing the burdens you were never intended to bear.  It's amazing and I highly recommend it.

So ... I guess the moral of this story ... if there's something you're struggling with today, a burden too big for you to bear ... please don't be an idiot {like me} and don't waste another minute ... all you have to do is "give it to Him."