Normality at its finest

I suddenly realized just now that I have a lot to learn about sacrifice. When I think about sacrificing, I think of the story of Abraham and Isaac--sacrificing is obeying God and trusting him no matter what. I also think of Jesus dying--sacrificing is sometimes having to give up something important in order to do what's right. A modern-day example would be two people I know who have given up their summer or even an entire semester to do missions work. One isn't getting paid. Rather, she had to raise thousands of dollars herself. The other is paid, but she could be making more money here without working long hours every single day of the week. Thirdly, I think of Wheat Thins, ("Why Snackrifice?"), but that's another story. That is my picture of sacrifice. With that idea, I was sitting here feeling absolutely useless and worthless. I'm not one for self-pity, though, so I tried to get to the root of the issue. I tried to be elsewhere for the summer, but God brought me back here. I needed a second job, and God provided one. I don't really have friend here anymore, at least not close ones, but God says that's okay. I'm quite obviously exactly where he wants me...yet little or nothing has been sacrificed on my part. Whatever happened to denying myself, taking up my cross, and following him? It occurred to me that I have the large-scale sacrificing down, but what about the small things, the things that you may not hear in great stories of trust and faithfulness, but that are an integral part of one's relationship with God? I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes God calls people to live a "normal" life, have a normal job, and not necessarily do anything they can pinpoint and say "that's important." How, in those circumstances, can I make sacrifices on a daily basis? I very easily get into a rut of just living for myself once I get comfortable with where God has placed me. And I'll be completely happy! Then one day, though nothing out of the ordinary happened, my world will fall apart because God will slap me with the revelation that I'm accomplishing nothing and not growing whatsoever. That said, I don't think God is calling me to do anything differently than what I have been doing. He's asking, though, that somehow I give it to him. I'm not sure how to go about it, but I'm going to try. There's a song I rediscovered a few weeks ago by Jennifer Knapp, called Whole Again. The chorus says, "if I give my life, if I lay it down, can you turn this life around, around?" That's kind of my philosophy for this summer. I'm working on it.