The return on investment

Sunday evening I had a conversation with someone that I did not want to have. I knew that it  was coming from the time I left for church that day. I  was not, however, prepared for the "we will be searching for a new church" statement that I was given. When I politely declined, I was told that I could fix my vehicle and drive my broken down SUV the 20 miles to church each service I chose to attend. That's all fine and dandy as I know if I ask, I will have a way to go. My church family will not leave me stranded.

But that was not struck me about the entire conversation. He was incredulous that I would not even consider going to another congregation with him. How could I even dare not go to church where he wanted to go. Well, simple, he's got to want to go. History tells me that church is low on his priorities compared to sleep. I can almost guarantee that his current status of laying in the bed all day will continue. I told him that unless God told me to leave, that I would be staying where I am. I have invested too much to leave.

When you talk about investment, the first thing that comes to your mind is money. You invest in stocks, bonds, IRA accounts and 401Ks for retirement or to even make a little extra income. You put a set amount in and begin to see a return in the form of interest income. This can be a set amount for the term of the investment or it can be based on percentage rates or the current value of the stock you have chosen. But what I was speaking of had very little to do with money, although I suppose you could put a monetary value in the equation. 

I was speaking to him concerning an investment of sacrifice, how that makes one invested to the house.  In almost 3 years of being with my congregation, I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to miss church for any reason. I had a covid exposure that made me miss, a month of Wednesday nights when I was on night shift for work, and a Friday night revival service. I believe there was another revival when I first started coming that I had to miss Friday and Saturday night too.  But overall, I have been there.  This includes nights when I had to be up at 4:30 am to work a 10 hour day, drive for an hour once I got off just to slide into my seat as service was about to begin, get home for about 4 hours of sleep just to do it all again. This was going to fellowship services when I was so depressed that I had no idea why I even went. This was just sitting after the end of service to reflect on what God was speaking to me during the service and what was next. You can't walk in and be a part based solely on who you are or where you come from. You have to invest time with the people around you, getting to know them, investing in their life as they invest in yours. When you look at investing, you are not going to keep doing it if you're not getting something from it. 

I told him that I had made numerous sacrifices over the years but he couldn't even sacrifice a few hours of sleep for revivals. Off work by 7am on Sunday morning and need to leave the house by 12:30 with the stops we had to make before service for brunch, that's a minimum of 4 hours sleep if he doesn't get to bed before 8. How many times have I went with no sleep or maybe an hour or two because I've been up with him all night while at the ER? You make sacrifices to invest in things and people you love. You make a sacrifice for what you value and place a priority on.

He will look at me and ask what have I gotten for my investment of sacrifice. Well, I have a family I didn't know I had. I found Truth after walking in false doctrine for 43 years. I have learned that with prayer and fasting, you CAN see miracles. I have learned to walk in the midst of great pain and to stand in adversity. It is not me that is doing these things but the Holy Ghost within me that is propelling me forward.  It is the return on the investment I have made over the years. No I'm not where I need to be in my "portfolio" but every little bit adds up.