More

Ephesians 3:20-21  - "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen."

In the hustle and bustle of the season, I'd put off shopping for everyday items.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  Those little necessities that never seem to be around when you need them.  And I needed them.  I needed them badly enough to load up three kids for a quick trip to the grocery store. 

I like to think of these trips as a Four Stage Process.  Stage 1 - Cats in a Bathtub. 

I'm totally serious.  When I say the words "grocery store" to my kids, they growl.  Their hair stands up on their heads.  They claw at me.  They hiss.  It's not pretty.

Stage 2 is Anguished Acceptance.  This is a tricky stage.  It had me fooled for a lot of years.  I saw the agonizing looks (I like to call them "Wet Cat Syndrome") and fell hook, line, and sinker.  But now I know better.  Don't let them see weakness.  And steel myself for Stage 3. 

Stage 3 - Kill Mom with Questions.

"Can I get Buddy Bucks?"  (Infernal "kid cash" for a machine that earns points to buy cheap crap that winds up on the floorboard of my car.)

"Can I have two quarters for the machine?"  (Infernal "kid trap" that vends cheap crap, which winds up on the floorboard of my car.)

"Can I have gum/candy/soda?"  (Infernal "kid crack" that's unhealthy, sticky and/or NOT spill-proof, and the trash winds up on the floorboard of my car.)

The problem with Stage 3 is that it lasts as long as we are in the store.  However, the mere existence of this stage inevitably prolongs the trip, turning a half-hour jaunt into an hour-long undertaking.   Once we leave the store, we move quickly into Stage 4 - Is that a Squirrel?  This stage is all about distraction.  It doesn't take much - a push or poke from a sibling is usually enough.  The questions are quickly forgotten and life goes on.

So back to my story.  We were headed to the store for one or two necessities.  We had barely pulled into the parking lot when my youngest daughter took me completely by surprise and moved into Stage 3* before we'd even exited the vehicle.  You may have noticed the asterisk.  That's because this is a rare deviation from typical Stage 3 behavior.  Many factors go into that asterisk.  Like, for example, it was a week after Mr. Ho-Ho-Ho left a veritable toy store under the tree.  And the fact that she'd had a birthday just four days after Christmas.  Also, consider the Audacity Factor. 

What is the Audacity Factor, you ask?  Perhaps telling you her question would best explain it.  Deep breath.  And...

"After this, can we go to Target for some more toys?"

I was floored.  Speechless.  The car was silent (a Christmas miracle!) as we all took in her question.  I like to think my older two children were in shock, too, but I've come to accept that they were just waiting.  Waiting for my reaction.  Waiting to see if we really could go to Target. 

After I regained consciousness, it took all I had not to give her the Less-Fortunate Lecture.  You know the one I'm talking about.  It always starts out with, "There are children in _______________ (fill in the blank with the first third-world country that comes to mind) who don't get anything for Christmas..."  But I didn't give that lecture.  Well, not the whole thing, anyway.  But my voice certainly had the how-dare-you tone (a symptom of the Audacity Factor). 

How dare you want more after all you got for Christmas?  How dare you want more when you got so much just four days later on your birthday?  How dare you think what you've already gotten is not enough?  How dare you want more???

I huffed and sighed and stomped into the store to get my few completely necessary items.  Stage 3* put a damper on the usual Stage 3 antics.  Or perhaps it was my Mean Mama face that kept the questions at bay.  At any rate, I was able to shop in some semblance of peace.  I noticed things that I usually missed.  Like the sale on body lotion.  What girl can't use an extra one of those in her bathroom cabinet?  And the body wash was Buy One, Get One Free.  Forget that I already had a full bottle at home, plus a 6-pack of my favorite bar soap.  Did you hear me say it was Buy One, Get One Free???  And then there was the back-scrubber I'd been meaning to get for months.  And mouthwash that guaranteed to whiten my teeth in just 7 days.  And another body wash that was on sale and smelled simply heavenly.  They all went in my cart.

And the irony was lost on me until I woke up this morning with one word in my head.

More.

But not the evil More that wants more toys, more lotion, and more body wash.  This More came from God.  You see, I'd been thinking about a New Year's resolution.  Typically, I'm not much of a "resolution" kinda gal.  They always seem like such a waste of guilt.  I've got far more important things to feel guilty for than not keeping a resolution.  But this year, I felt it - a need to resolve myself in Him.  I suppose it's more of a calling than a resolution.  God is calling me to More.

I sat down and made a list of all the More I need in my life:

• More loving.  Let go of my anger and unforgiveness and mistrust.  Just Love.

• More giving.  Give more of my time and my talents.  Blog more.  Stop putting it off.

• More serving.  Do more for others.  Use the things with which I've been blessed to serve others.  That new camera I got for Christmas?  Use it to be His hands and feet.  Show the world His grace and mercy through a wide-angle lens.

• More compassion.  See others like God sees me - past the mistakes and failures.

• More prayers.  Build that relationship.  Make Him the Man in my life.

• More trust.  Give Him my whole heart (yes, even the parts that I've been trying to keep hidden) and let Him get to work chipping away at those stubborn, hardened edges.

•  More letting go.  Seek only to change what is in my power to change - myself.

• More honor.  Respect the journeys of those that I love, even if it hurts.

• More reading.  Get into his Word.  Let it guide me and renew me and strengthen me.

• More deep breaths.  God never said this life would be easy.  Take it one day at a time.  Hold His hand the entire way.

This resolution, if that's what you want to call it, comes with a bonus, a Buy One, Get One Free, if you will.  The more I focus on the More, the less time I will have to focus on the Not Enough.

And who doesn't need that in their shopping cart?

Would you like to join me in my resolution...ahem, I mean, my calling?  Are you ready?

Go ahead!  Fill your cart with More.  Stack it so high that you can't see the path in front of you.  Put away your purse.  Don't worry about what card you're gonna put it on.  Cause this More doesn't cost a thing.  The price for your More has already been paid.  It cost more than you can fathom...

...but for you, it's free.