Extravagance

Extravagance: spending much more than is necessary or wise; excessively high; exceeding the bounds of reason; going beyond what is deserved or justifiable. 

I have studied that word all week as it relates to the women pouring an entire bottle of perfume, costing a year’s wages, on Jesus’ head.  I will have to admit I have struggled with this idea, what an extravagant act of love.  I like it when Betty is extravagant towards me like taking me to Ireland last year for my birthday.  But that wasn’t my struggle.  My struggle was how to be extravagant toward Jesus like this woman, especially in light of how extravagant He is toward me. There is the ultimate, His dying for me but also Betty, sunshine, and rain come to mind and fire and grandbabies and love being inside of me and sugar and hot bread and the color blue and Hawaii and mountains, puppies and dryer sheets—the list could go on, hearing, tasting…Extravagant: exceeding the bounds of reason.  It’s not like God loves me as much as it seems He is enamored with me.  So the issue this week has been how can I do this for Him like the women with the perfume?  Not, how I can do it for others but how can I do it for Him???  I believe the first way is to spend time with Him when it is just me alone, to always make those alone times, when my list of “to-dos” is off the chart, to still make sure I have the most time to just sit and be with Him.  Out of that grows other ways but only out of that.  That time seems to be the key!!! 

A circle is an extravagant gift from God; if you had thought
it up and then shared it you would be disappointed if
no one said thank you!