Giving too Much?

Day Two. Now that I realize how much I have to commit to the idea of no sodas, I feel like this whole "self-sacrificing" thing isn't for me. I just came back from Chick-Fil-A and I never drink anything but Coca-Cola. I watched every other customer order a large coke and my mouth was watering and I thought, "Shoot, I really should've picked something more realistic."
But I am glad that I didn't.
I often find myself (wrongly) assuming I have everything worked out. Just when I believe that I have all my relationships (with God, parents, and friends) down to a science, something comes along. Our youth community lost someone we grew up with, I spoke back to my mother, or my friends seem nonexistent. And I tumble down into a pit of uncertainty. I was so confident, and now I a small hitch in my world and I stumble. I hate this.
In my bible study (Crazy Love by Francis Chan), he challenges us to try to out-give God. He says that if we are afraid of trusting God and that God might let us down, then to just try. What's the worst that can happen? Francis says to give up all the control we hold over our trivial human desires and to ask God to take the reins. Guess what? We can't out-give God. This life we choose to relinquish control to our Father becomes filled with the blessing and love of God. He constantly and consistently reminds us of His glory and power.
This Lenten season, if you start to feel the agonizing deprivation of caffeine or the painful realization of no TV for 40 days, just remember to give your all to God. We can't out-give Him. And He won't give out on us.