Crazy Love

The Lord has been “marinating” something in my heart for quite a long time. I wrote a post a few days back called, “We Didn’t Get the Memo.” If you have been visiting here at A Place Called Simplicity you will understand how passionate Dw and I and our kids are about following Christ. We are passionate about making certain that our lives count. We are committed to going against the flow. We are restless to make a difference today.

Then since Dw returned from Haiti last Saturday, he and I have been talking about all this even more. He spoke a little about it Sunday morning…..and one of the things he called it was “Crazy Love”. Dw and I both love the word “radical” – but it can, at times, have a negative connotation. Crazy Love seems to sum it up {for us} in a way that although one may not understand what that means exactly to Dw and I, it doesn’t sound scary or intimidating. Basically, we are committed to living life for Christ with reckless abandon, and with hearts full of “Crazy Love. “

Stop for a moment and imagine what Crazy Love would look like? It’s love that says, “only you God and everything I can for my ‘neighbor’. Whatever you ask – I’ll do. Wherever you want me to go – I’ll go. However you ask me to do it – I’m there. Whenever you want me – I’m available. Whatever. Wherever. However. Whenever. Ready. Willing. Watching. Waiting.”

Can you imagine?

But how can we practically make a difference today? What can we do today? So I’ve been thinkin’……Although there are many possibilities…how’s this one?

Over the years Dw and I have given financially to many people. Many times we have given financially to people we don’t even know. We are convinced that our money is the Lord’s and that the amount He allows to flow through our fingertips is a direct result of our faithfulness. It is also a symptom of our heart.

I have heard people say, “When this business of ours really gets going we are going to start giving huge amounts of money away.” Really? I mean, really???? God’s word says this in Luke 16:10….

,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much”

Here’s what Jesus meant when He said that…..If you have a little and share with those in need, then He will make sure you get much because you’ve already proven yourself faithful with the little He gave you.

Hmmmm. To the world’s eyes that just doesn’t make sense, does it? But remember we are not on the world’s economy but on God’s economy! The world would say, “Hoard. Grab it. Hang on to it tight. Don’t even think of your neighbor’s need ’cause you might need that money someday.” But in sharp contrast to that worldly line of thinking…God’s word says in Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure– pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Whooooaaa, did you catch that?

The same standard of measure we use for others, it will be measured in return to us. So let’s see….if I give to others with a “teaspoon”….I’ll be getting a teaspoon back? Yup! BUT what if I use a cup to measure to others? Well then could it mean that a cup full back will come back to me? What if I use a shovel? Whooooaaa!! A shovel back? What if I use a wheelbarrel? Yiiiikes! A wheelbarrel back??! What if I use a dump truck? Oh my gracious!! A dump truck back!! Can you imagine such a thing? That my friend, would be called Crazy Love!

Now as you can guess…..the dump truck back would not be for the purposes of spending on ourselves…it would be given because we were trustworthy and God Almighty would know that we would be using it to bless others….

Now the thing about giving is that scripture is very clear….the tithe is required….it’s ten percent, I mean come on guys, everything we have is only cause He gave it to us to begin with! So that means that everything that comes into our home….. we write a check and give back 10% to our local church. But giving is above our tithe.

All our married lives we have given away above our tithe. Infact I read about a man once….he lived on 10% and gave away 90%. How did he do that? Ummm, I’m just guessing here, but probably he had put alot into practice already…like I talked about in that“We Didn’t Get the Memo Post”.

Dw and I are not there, yet, but that is the dream….to one day live on 10% and give away 90%. Now the reality is that we cannot do that jumping from living on 90% and all of a sudden we live on 10%. So we are in the process of purposefully giving away more and more each day, each month, each year…but we had to first, many years ago start living on 89%, then a few months later we were living on 88%, then a few months later we were living on 87%….month by month…making changes…giving away….making changes…giving more away….you know, first our teaspoon, then a tablespoon, then a cup, then a shovel….you get the idea!!

So a few weeks ago I had this idea….What if I ‘hosted’ a Crazy Love party to help with some of the needs that you, my bloggy friends have? There are so many needs out there. So many. What if we gave to those who had need? There are blog friends whose husbands have lost their job. There are single parents who have great needs. There are blog friends whose husbands are debilitated and are unable to provide any income at this time. There are folks in the midst of an adoption. There are even folks in the midst of an adoption and the dad has lost his job! There are even some of you signed up to go on a missions trip and you are wondering where the money is going to come from? Some of you have had a medical crisis happen with no health insurance.

So what about some Crazy Love today? Let’s just give it a try.

Here’s the guidelines:
1. You must have a blog to participate.
2. You must be a follower of this blog to participate {feel free to join in now in order to participate}.
3. You must write a post to explain your need and link it to the MckLinky at the bottom.4. You must have an email address in your blog post so people can contact you and ask you questions if they need to. You obviously must be willing to have people know your address to send the check to.

5. Here are some things I think must be included in your post on your blog: First! Do you and your family tithe? {Truthfully, if you aren’t tithing then you aren’t stewarding your resources well.} What church do you attend? Are you involved in your church at all? What exactly is your need? How would the money be used? Please keep the post as brief as possible, so when friends are hopping around looking at the needs they can easily read what the need is, if you tithe, what kind of church you attend and how they can help. Now the thing is: If you don’t tithe, just be honest. If you don’t attend a church, it’s okay, just say so. I know there are some of you who read this blog and are just walking toward Christ…it’s okay. Just say, “I’m walking toward Christ” or “I’m wondering about this whole God-thing.”

Oh my gracious I am so excited!!Now I just know that some of you are thinkin’…..Linny! You don’t even know these people and I don’t know these people either……. I know…but that doesn’t make their need any less real. It is soooo real. And you know what? Giving to someone you don’t know – I would call that CRAZY and it would also be LOVE in action…CRAZY LOVE!!! =) Okay, so Linny, I get the Crazy Love thing…but what if they don’t really need it, or don’t use it like they said…or whatever???? Well that would be between God and them and they will be held accountable one day for the money they were given. God will still honor that your heart gave with Crazy Love. Promise. I do know that this was one of the harder lessons to start to learn with our fire. We have always been “the givers.” We have had to learn to receive. It is humbling, no doubt. So if you have a need, here’s a God-given opportunity to see the body of Christ at work. Can you imagine the Memorial Box stories that will come out of this?And if per chance, no one says they have a need? Well, I just really believe that this post was written for at least one of you…you are wondering if God is listening and hearing your cries…and yes, He is and He is about to show you deep love through people you don’t even know…How’s that for God’s Crazy Love for YOU?


So that’s the plan…some of you tell us of your need and those who “have” will share. Crazy? Crazy Love!

47 thoughts on “Crazy Love

  1. Thanks Linny, I just wrote a post on why I'm giving up blogs for 90 days and then you have to go write a post like this.

    AWESOME IDEA!!!

    OK, I have a week left to still follow blogs and I'm ready to share some crazy love so I hope some people add links!

    Did I say this is an AWESOME IDEA?

  2. oh, Linny! i am EXCITED!! we love to give. i mean, trust me, we are not experts & we need to give MORE, but we truly enjoy giving above our tithe. it is a JOY.

    one of the best things that we did we we first got married was set up a "giving fund." it is a separate checking account. our 10% automatically goes there and then we put an extra percentage in there to give throughout the year. it is so fun to pray as a family & give joyfully!

    can't wait to come back and follow the links!

  3. This is a great idea. I've been reading here for a long time now, since right around the time of your big fire. I rarely comment. But I am currently involved in a Women's Bible Study at church, going through Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love. It's really kicking my butt. Not an easy book to digest. I'm going to have to read it more carefully the second time around, as I KNOW I've not taken it all in yet…

    We aren't currently in need, as we aren't feeling the release of the Lord yet to pursue another adoption. It's on our hearts to do it, and we're just waiting on the Lord to give us the "Go!" We've been home with our beautiful Li'l Empress for 18 months (as of this coming Saturday!).

    In the meantime, we do feel strongly to advocate for special needs adoptions and I try to stay up on what God is saying and doing across the adoption community. I'm anxious to come back and check out what happens with this carnival you will be hosting.

    I was just "chatting" via blogs with Leslie over at "Room for (at least) One More" about this very thing. Some folks don't even know there's a memo out there, much less that they could be reading it and changing the lives of hundreds around them just by sharing their copy of the memo! (To extend your analogy!) That was one of the greatest posts on adoption that I've ever read. I thank you!

    Okay, that's it. I'm done. I rarely comment here and it seems when I do, I write a BOOK πŸ™‚ God bless you guys. I'm so excited to see what will come of this.

  4. Linny, thank you so much for posting this. Everything you post just adds and compliments what my Pastor here in Wisconsin talks about in either his Sunday services or his Wednesday service. Thank you for being a willing instrument of God to touch lives.

    I deleted my blog and wouldn't have a need to post for anyway. But I'm very excited to see who has a need I can sow towards. Thank you for this opportunity!

  5. Wow, Linny!! I am moved to tears. I just love you (crazy since we only know each other in bloggy land)!!

    I can't wait to participate by giving what the Lord would have me to give. My husband just started back to work after being laid off since October so we know what some of those that are still not working are going through!

    I will post about all that God did during my hubby's unemployment one of these days on my blog, but I have been so swamped with photography business that keeping up with my blog has been set aside. (I have journaled it on paper!)

    I have a tugging on my heart that one of the people we will give to will be one of those going through addoption. Since we ourselves are seeking the Lord on what path he has for us on adoption.

    YAY!!!!

  6. This is amazing. I just saw the Luke 6:38 verse on a sign in church last night, and I just stared at it for a while, reading it over and over. Think God's trying to tell me something? πŸ™‚

  7. That's so awesome Linny! I just wrote a post a couple days ago about the Parable of the Talents and how God is using that in our lives right now, so this is right up my alley. (It also has to do with Morning Star, so you should check it out!) I would love to participate but have to the get post ready. I'm so glad you're doing this!!

  8. I do have needs, but I feel weird about "asking" for something for myself on my blog- which is much more of a place for my family to follow my son's life, rather than a place for such a serious post.

    But I do think that this is a wonderful idea, and I want to thank you for doing it.

  9. Reminds me of Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Crazy" that was on his album several years ago. The chorus says "Aint it crazy when love gets ahold of you?"! Yep, you guys are crazy, but I'm just as crazy as you! I don't feel as lonely in this world thanks to your blog πŸ™‚

  10. Wow what an awesome though πŸ™‚ We are in the middle of adopting from Ukraine and are trusting God that He will provide the funds needed when we travel later this year. We do go to a church and are active members. Sometimes tithing seems hard because we do need money for our adoption but my husband always says that the only reason we have enough is because we tithe. We hate asking for money because we feel like God called us to do this, so He will provide w/o us asking others.
    My blog is http://www.enteringtheborderland.com and I have a chipin widget on it if anyone would like to check us out. My oldest post describes what we're doing.

  11. Oh Linny,
    You always speak to my heart. And I have been thinking about your "We didn't get the Memo" post for days now.
    You see, I am college student. I don't have any loans, and I hope to keep it that way. I'm making it, just when the money seems to be running out, I get more. And I only work during the Summers. I'm making it. The same day that you wrote the "We Didn't Get the Memo" post, my boy friend and I ate Chinese food for dinner. And do you know what my fortune cookie said? "Continuously give, continuously have." I thought about you as soon as I read it. And the very next day, I was at the Dollar Store. I didn't end up buying anything, and as I was leaving a man riding a bike asked me if I could spare some money? I had my debit card with me, and only my debit card. I explained to him that I was a college student, and didn't have much money and no cash with me. As soon as I left my heart ached for the man. I got into the car and noticed 2 dollars sitting in the cup holder. I grabbed the money and looked out the window for the man so that I could give it to him. But he was gone, I drove down the road hoping I would see him, but he was no where to be seen.
    I think, I should be giving more. I use to give to the homeless, all the time, but not lately.
    I'm going to start, right here, because you're giving me the opportunity.
    I can't wait for this crazy love to begin!

    Thank you so much!

    Nicole

  12. Thanks so much for doing this Linny! I added my post "Hope for Haiti" but there is a typo in my email address within my post. Do you know a way I can fix it? I edited my post on my site, but the Mr Linky post didn't change. Of course folks can ask questions in the comments area of my blog.

  13. Love this Linny!!!
    truly what i needed to read today and so excited to see how God moves in all this.

    Praying for everyone reading and posting that God just pours it all out!!!

  14. Wow! Perhaps I will get the "craziness" to leave a link. Until then, I thought you'd like to see our post

    Are we Crazy?

    Here is the link:

    http://onlygodcouldwritethisstory.blogspot.com/2010/03/are-we-crazy.html

    We are in the process of our 2nd adoption. . we have 3 biological kids, one adopted from Guatemala, and now longing to bring home our son (4-8 years old) from Ethiopia.

    Your blog has been an inspiration to me. . when I feel like nobody "gets us" . .I like to come here and say, yes!! yes!! yes!! Thanks for the time you give this blog.

    Warmly-
    Su

  15. Oh I just LOVE your post!!

    God has taken us through the scariest time of our lives financially (unexpected lay off) and brought us through with BIGGER and BETTER faith imaginable! He provided more than I EVER thought possible!

    I was going to blog for my need for my FIRST mission trip, but WOW, these posts are unbelievable, so I'm just committing to pray for each one of these and let it go with that. I KNOW God provides, He provided for 4 MONTHS for our family of 5 during that time! And for a family that lives paycheck to paycheck, I KNOW it was God that did it!

    WOW, I just love your heart.

  16. OHHHH AND….I will add….Christmas was during our unemployment and we gave our ONLY money for Christmas to help the homeless in our area and God revealed Himself HUGE to our family because of it! Not only spiritually, but physically, He UNEXPECTEDLY provided our entire kids' Christmas from a lady I have never met! God is SO GOOD!

    (Wait….I think I've told you this before. HAAAA I just LOVE to share what God has done for us!)

  17. I wrote a post about your post.

    I don't know what to ask for, and don't even feel very worthy of receiving, so I'm not linking, but I do share my blog because I really could use feedback from you and any of your fellow commenters.

    You got me thinking, and not just today, I have been since I stumbled upon your blog several days a go.

    Thank you for all of this. πŸ™‚

  18. Sorry for commenting again, I just felt that maybe I did need to link above, so I'm going to. Thank you, again and again and again, for sharing. πŸ™‚

  19. This is awesome!!
    We will be praying for the mclinkys! We are living proof of God's faithfulness when you hear and obey his commands when it comes to giving. We have family and friends who blow more money every year than we make. We have never wanted for anything. We gave away more than we spent on all of the gifts we purchased during the holidays and really we should not have been able to afford ANY gifts to begin with! God is amazing that way! We are in the process of purchasing a 4 bedroom ranch and our house payment will be less than the rent we are currently paying! Just the 1st step in our adoption journey! (I had REALLY wanted to go to Uganda with Dw this spring but that is when we will be moving.) For sure next trip. Maybe Haiti though!
    Sheri

  20. Linny,
    It's scary but I did it. I stepped out in faith. Actually, I think the biggest thing about putting our needs out there is that we fear rejection more than anything else. Silly huh?

  21. This is such a wonderful idea!!

    We just got home in January with our now 10 month old daughter from Ethiopia (we also have a two year old 'homegrown' daughter), and our adoption journey was a huge journey of faith for us in many ways – especially financially.

    I am a stay at home mom, and my husband was laid off last Feb from his job as an architect, right when our dossier was getting ready to be sent to Ethiopia – we were days from being put on the wait list. Our agency almost made us terminate our adoption, but through lots of prayer, tears, more prayer, talking,etc they allowed us to move forward (one of the stipulations was we could not collect unemployment). It was a three month setback, but easily could have been 'the end'.

    We are still not exactly sure where exactly the Lord channeled all the money to complete our adoption and for our daily needs from, but our daughter is home, and we are debt free!!!

    Now in my husband's 13 month of job searching, we are pretty sure the Lord has more children to add to our family via adoption, and are praying that He will provide my husband with a stable job and income large enough to be approved again, as well as a slightly larger house that our home study agency will approve us to add more children to!

    We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for our family, and it has been so encouraging to read these links of other families that God has called to step out in faith and see how He will provide!!!

    Blessings,

    Sarah

  22. Hi Linny,

    I just had to say…I love your heart and practical help to others..it is a beautiful thing. I have visited your blog often but have never been an official "follower"…but I will be now. : )

    I may or may not post our need…it's hard to ask when you see so many others with similar or greater needs…some of these posts are so wonderful, to hear the stories…

    But I had to laugh & leave a comment, because in this post, you used phrasing that I use all the time in regards to our story!!

    For one, my first post when we announced our adoption was "Maybe we are crazy…" Then, my blog title is "Love with Abandon", and even our recent mission trip was called "Reckless Abandon"! I just thought that was fun!! I love the whole idea of living life with abandon, with hearts full of crazy love! : )

    Blessings,
    Rachel

  23. Crazy amazing love!

    I have a million dreams in my heart and I feel like I know where my future lies, God has that all planned out, but the now the near future, the this year?????????

    I will trust in the Lord, I will delight in him with the desires of my heart adoption, foster care, full time potter, full time wife and mother, full time giving of my self to my family and friends so that their dreams can come true full time…..

    For now full time job and then some

  24. Linny!!!!! This is amazing!!!! You are the first person that I have "met" who is also working towards living on 10%….we are slowly getting there and THRILLED by what God is doing! I wanted to chime in that for us, He has taken care of everything….and some of teh most beautiful part of the "tamped down and overflowing" has been how He has changed our hearts. More and more He seems to be showing us what is truly important, showing us where Satan has put on blinders, showing us His beautiful heart and how real and true the Gospel is as we step towards His truths!!!! OS exciited for this project!!!!!
    We did something similar to this over Christmas. We did a 4 week road trip down the Baja Peninsula and everyday prayed, "Lord we will do whatever you want us to"…it changed everything for us. He did lead us to amazing places and we got to serve but more than that, He completely turned our hearts upside down and continues to do so…radically changing us and showing us what is truly important. We wrote a bit about it here http://throwingourarmsopenwide.blogspot.com/2009/12/whatever-experiment.html
    but I have been hearing the Lord nudge me that I need to write a follow-up about what He is still doing and how life honestly feels like it has totally changed. SO darned excited to be a part of this project with you!!!

  25. What a gift!
    Thank you for starting a Crazy Love Revolution!

    Truly God has blessed me with so very much! I leave for Ethiopia on Easter for my first mission trip. God has provided!

    The desire of my heart that cries out to Him is for another adoption. We have 4 children 2 bio and 2 from Ethiopia, one of them with a special need. I ache for another child, know that there is another out there. Yet hubby isn't ready to move forward yet. He's waiting for his 'burning bush' I pray every day for God to provide that bush. Perhaps this is his bush? I know he is concerned with finances.
    Thank you Linny!
    Andrea

  26. Linny, thank you so much! I have been following your blog for a while, but don't comment much. I am so thankful for how you challenge my heart!

    Oh, I also didn't know exactly what I was doing with the first MckLinky! So, I corrected it! But # 35 & 40 are to the same blog. #35 is the incorrect one. I didn't link to the specific answers to your questions. πŸ™‚ Sorry! Can you remove #35 maybe?

    Thank you so much again!

  27. Linny, I love, love, love, LOVE this!! What an awesome idea – I am so excited to participate!

    My Bible study group is studying the book of Daniel right now, and just this week I was reading the story of Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the tree and about being driven out to live with the wild animals (ch. 4), and I was so STRICKEN by two things:

    1) verse 4 says Nebuchadnezzar was "AT EASE in his house, and prospering in his palace"…basically contented in his own self and his own stuff with nary a care about anyone else.

    2) verse 27 says "break away now from your sins by doing righteousness, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.

    What jumped out at me was the word SHOWING…..not FEELING mercy for the poor. I'm pretty good at the feeling part, but tend to need soe help in the showing part. I have been praying all week, "God, please give me a heart to SHOW mercy to those who are in need, not just FEEL it. Show me HOW….show me WHAT to do. Make me a DOER of the Word, not just a hearer."

    And I am so excited about your post, which is already the answer to MY prayer! And now I can be used as a vessel in the answer to someone else's prayer! Thank you, Linny, for giving both the givers and the receivers this opportunity to be blessed by God!! I'm so excited!

  28. Mine is titled "Send Sarah to KC!" I almost feel silly entering my need, with so many others who need help more. But I feel like God is calling me to this retreat and I'm willing to do anything to go. Even enter a need that might seem silly to some.

    I hope you all are doing well! I'm praying for you and your family. πŸ™‚

  29. As a passionate advocate for orphans, an adoptive single mom (with 3 daughters now grown and 1 bio son) and a lover of God and others, I am so touched by your family and your story. I just found your blog and can't wait to read more about you. I am especially excited to read about the needs in your Love party. I plan to link up too as I am raising funds to continue my work with orphaned special needs children in India but the MOST exciting thing is that I just KNOW God is going to show me where He wants me to give! I can't wait to read more about you and the needs of your linked readers. May God RICHLY BLESS you!

  30. So I don't think I came to your blog by accident today. I picked up a book last week for my birthday. You will never guess the title – yep, you guessed it, 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan. My wife, Twilla, and I are right there with you. What if He really meant what He said when He told us that to gain your life that first you have to lose it. We returned from China three weeks ago with a brand new 11 year old son. The whole process has been one miracle after another. We would love to be part of this 'Crazy Love' revolution.

  31. Our family was deeply touched/moved last spring when 6 of us read Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It was one of the things that the Lord used to confirm in my husband that he should quit his teaching job (after 21 years) and move into full-time ministry. We gave up a secure job … a retirement plan … our family's health insurance. And, took a job with no guaranteed income … no health insurance … no place to live. It was CRAZY, but it was also just another one of our many FAITH walks that the Lord has taken us on.

    When I did our taxes a few weeks ago and the computer told me that we "made $40,000 less than last year" … all I could do was laugh, and thank the Lord for his AMAZING provision for us. He has been faithful to provide for ALL of our needs (and even some of our "just for fun" desires, too).

    Can't wait to read some of the McLinky stories …

    Laurel

  32. Wow! What a CRAZY awesome thing to do Linny! πŸ™‚ Sorry I missed out on the McKlinky but I'm following the rest of the links that made it to see how I can help out. I love the 'radical' crazy woman you are! God Bless

  33. Hi…just wondering if this post is closed now. I am not sure how to use Mclinkey and it says that it is closed. I had hoped to write a post on my blog and link it if you are still taking them. Let me know.
    Thanks,
    Melanie

  34. I don't get how to post a link to the list, but we are in process to adopt a waiting child from China who was born with Spina Bifida.
    http://www.obutforthegraceofgod.blogspot.com
    We have one daughter adopted 18 months ago also with Spina Bifida.
    This is truly a Crazy Love! And oh so beautiful! God has many ways of provision, and I never know how or where it's coming from , but that's the best part. So I can always remember it comes from Him, and not my own doing.
    My husband is in land development work, and has only worked a few days a month, and that has made me the Primary provider for the family by default, on a part-time salary.. We are taking advantage of the time, to get him an education degree which we have received provision for also. But what we truly need is for our adoption funds.

  35. Linny – I just heard about your blog and I love it! Your Crazy Love idea is awesome! We tithe but we'd like to start giving a little more. We'll have to start small as we're cash-flowing our adoption but this is an awesome way to do it! Thanks so much! Thanks to God for laying this on your heart!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>