Sacrifice – the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy.

Sacrificing isn’t easy and it sure as heck isn’t always a whole lot of fun. But we make sacrifices because deep down in our hearts we recognize that there is a greater cause at stake. For some the cause is doing charitable service, for some the cause is family, for some the cause is religious, for some it may be friendship.

Whether it is the father that gives up golfing or fishing trips to be able to spend more time with his children, or it’s the mother who sets aside some of her own aspirations to be able to dedicate her days to raising her children, or it’s the person who donates their time and talents to serve their church, or it’s the person who gives up a fancy toy or belonging in order to help someone in need – All of those are examples of someone making a significant sacrifice. But sacrifice can also be as small as giving your time to open the door for someone, or it can be paying a few dollars for the meal of the person behind you at the drive through, or it can be turning off a favorite television show to read a book to a child, or it can be showing up at an event even when you are worn out to let someone else know they matter to you. All of those sacrifices – whether big or small – matter. They all make a difference. They all serve to improve the life of another. They are all important.

Investment – a devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, emotional energy, etc., as for a purpose or to achieve something

Life is full of hard choice on which sacrifices to make and the only way I know how to get through those hard choices is to step back and ask myself if the thing I am hanging onto is of greater value than the purpose that could be served if I make the sacrifice? Then to emotionally get through the blow of making the sacrifice I remind myself that what I am actually doing is making an investment into something of far greater value.

Whenever we sacrifice something what we are really doing is making one of the smartest investments we could ever make…we are investing into the greater good and what better investment could we make than that?

Have a glorious day!

~Amy