SACRIFICE ALL THE THINGS

for spring break, i went on a trip to see version 4.

(note: i will give people all sorts of nicknames on my blog. i do it to protect...nah, no reason i just want to do it.)

(note #2: this blog will make no sense to you unless you read this. it's a blog post from hyperbole and a half. it's where the inspiration for the title came from. it's hilarious and worth the extra reading.)

we had a blast. it was filled with the ups, downs, and adventures that are customary when we're together. we're pretty similar, so perhaps the world is imploding on itself anytime we're in the same spot for more than 24 hours. i'll have to test that theory...near someone that gets on my nerves to see what happens to them.

but back to the story. we went to version 4's church. i had the opportunity to minister to some folks and share a word. at the end, one of the ladies came up and prophesied to me. what she said was confirmation...but it also annoyed me. it involved sacrifice and alienation because of my calling.

that's old news to me. old and UNWANTED news.

i was bothered for the rest of the day. what type of sacrifice will i have to make? and why does it always seem to involve some sort of separation from people? i've always felt the weight of that since i was a little kid. it can be overwhelming. i'm sure if folks really understand that weight unless they've experience it themselves.

i expressed to version 4 that i just wanted to know what it was that i needed to give up so i could get over with. that's when he began smirking and shaking his head at me. he usually does that when i get on these tangents, and it can be loosely translated as "i'll just wait until he's tired of talking about this and he sees the truth right in front of him."

he then looked at me and smiled. "i know what you should do?"

"really? what?"

"sacrifice ALL THE THINGS!" (if you didn't read that blog that i told you to in the beginning, you'll be lost starting now.)

i laughed. "YES! sacrifice them ALL!" and i said that pretty loud.

mind you, we were in a golden corral when this was going on. usually, a golden coral would be filled with loud post-church black women. but this was arizona so it was more like an episode of roseanne; country, but more quiet. everyone heard us yelling.

version 4 raised his hand in the air. "c'mon v! SACRIFICE ALL THE THINGS!"

i followed suit. "SACRIFICE THEM NOW!"

"SACRIFICE THEM FASTER!"

"FOREVER!"

then we stared getting crazy. even for us.

"SET EVERYTHING YOU LIKE ON FIRE AND SAY THANK YOU JESUS!"

"NEVER BE HAPPY!"

"STOPPING SMILING! JESUS DIED FOR YOU!"

we stopped after a while, and then the white folks stopped being nervous at the two black dudes yelling "sacrifice" in the middle of the restaurant. version 4 then got serious. "but honestly v, i think you're making too much out of it. the biggest sacrifices are the ones that we make from day to day. it's not some grand production. just make steps with christ in mind." and that was what we both understood while making those jokes. at times we make sacrifice a grand performance. that's not a good thing. oftentimes life is much, much more simple in how it plays out. and smaller in scale.

i think we too often make christianity an event based faith. we prep people for kamikaze air raids on the kingdom of darkness, to give everything they own to the first person who asks, or to set themselves on holy fire and run through the enemy's camp.

what if some one's life just isn't filled with jesus-themed rambo action? does that mean god hasn't used you as much?

of course not. i remember julie mayer saying something about holiness that stuck with me: "it's day by day, choice by choice, step by step, and yes by yes." i'm sure i quoted that wrong but oops.