Tuesday, April 8, 2014

G is for Giving it Your All

--> As I limped home after walking my daughter to her babysitting job, my dog tugged at me to hobble faster.  I suffer with pain issues from arthritis in a small bone in my foot.  When it’s acting up, it feels like walking on a broken foot.  Tendinitis adds to the irritation and pain.  It hurts. 


“Stop Gooper.”  I yanked back at the leash.  “I’m giving it my all.”


After the words came out of my mouth, the questions flooded into my mind.  WAS I giving it my all?  What did that really mean?  Was I taking that term a bit too lightly?  After all, I was using it to chastise my dog.

A few weeks before this, I walked an 8K race with my daughter.  My foot was doing ok comparatively.  Though I had been working out, we hadn’t trained for the race, and it was a 2 mile jaunt just to get to the start.  I really hadn’t thought this was all that big of a deal, but plodding through that last mile, I was hurting.  It felt every bit as hard as the last mile of the marathon I HAD trained for several years earlier.  Oh boy, I was giving it my all just to crawl to that finish line. 


Was I though?  I thought I couldn’t walk another step, but I did; and another and another. 


So many times I’m dragging;  I can’t do one more thing.  I can’t…  I’ve given my all, but I know.  As hard as I may have pushed myself, as deserved as the rest might be, giving it my all, that’s something else all together. 


American soldiers are giving and have given their all.  People around the world dying for their faith are giving their all.  The one who most comes to mind as giving His all, is Jesus, the Christ. 

Jesus told us what giving it all looks like, and it’s all about love.  He said,  


“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” 


He did.  He laid His life down for everyone who puts their trust in Him as the remedy for their human problem.  It’s a beautiful example of giving one’s all.  It’s worth finding out more about.  


A to Z Challenge


16 comments:

  1. Jesus gave it all. I don't think most of us ever give it our all. I know I can always try harder or do more.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog

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    1. Exactly. I think I can always try a little harder or give a bit more. God bless.

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  2. I doubt it. I wonder if our walk with Christ is really a journey to learn how to give it all..???

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  3. What a great reminder that, while we often think we're giving our all, Jesus actually did give it all.

    TaMara
    AJ's AtoZ wHooligan
    Tales of a Pee Dee Mama

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    1. I know I need to remind myself of that all the time, TaMara, to really appreciate it. God bless.

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  4. You are right. Giving it our all is so important, yet in general we don't. Thanks for the reminder and the encouragement to do so.

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    1. Thank you, Joy, for stopping by. God bless.

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  5. I, too, struggle with chronic pain. You've given me a lot to think about. I hit low spots at least once a day. I also walk my dogs every day--all four of them--and sometimes when I'm on that fourth walk I get a bit impatient, then guilty. No, I'm not giving it my all. There are others in this world who have clearly given their all, but I still have more that I can give. Thank you

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    1. I empathize with your battle with pain, Darla. Having 4 dogs to walk gives you the accountability to push through the pain and get out there anyway. I admire your tenacity in the face of pain. Thanks for your comments and encouragement. God bless, Maria

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  6. A beautiful reminder to take up our cross daily - thanks! And by the way, I love the name "Gooper" for a dog!

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    1. He was named by my then 4 year old daughter. She's now 13 so he has been around awhile. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. God bless, Maria

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  7. The more we ponder, the deeper we get. Great journey into a deeper meaning of giving our "all."

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  8. A very thoughtful post!

    And thank you for visiting my blog.
    Mary at Variety, the Spice of Life

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    1. Thank you, Mary, for returning the visit and sharing a comment. God bless, Maria

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