In exactly 2 weeks, I’ll be 26 years old and if year 25 has taught me anything, it’s taught me that everyone, Christian or not, has a breaking point. EVERYONE! There’s only so much anyone can take. You may let someone take advantage of you once, you may even let it happen three or four times, but I guarantee you, there’s going to come a time when you say “enough is enough”. This year I’ve reached that “enough is enough” point several times. Unfortunately, I’ve found that no matter how many chances you give someone, no matter how much you do for them, no matter how many sacrifices you make, the first time you say “no” and put your foot down, all the times in the past that you said “yes” are immediately forgotten about. You instantaneously go from Hero to Villain. From Christian to “I thought you were saved”. From “thank you so much” to “who do you think you are”. It’s amazing how people feel like you owe them something. Like you’re obligated to do for them just because you have it, or so they think.

My parents are the absolute best. 90% of the time when I ask them for something, I get it. How would I look talking about them, or blasting them for the 10% of the times they don’t get me what I asked for? How silly would I look if dogged them out for not doing something for me, when A- I’m fully grown and B- they don’t owe me ANYTHING? They do for me now because they choose to, not because they’re required. I have friends whose parents cut them off as soon as they turned 18, when my parents were still paying my bills in college. How would I look calling them deadbeats now that I’m out of college, working a full time job, and they say no, they’re not paying a bill?!?! If they cut me off right now today (which I pray they don’t LOL), I can’t, won’t, dare not, part my lips to say anything but THANK YOU! They did what they were supposed to, and then some.

I said all that to say, be careful how you treat people that did for you when they didn’t have to. Be mindful of what you say about them to your “friends”, when the “friends” you’re talking about them to, wouldn’t have done for you what they did. Please don’t get me wrong, I love being able to help the people I love. I love the look on a persons face when God uses me to be a blessing. I count it an honor that I’m in a position to be able to take care of myself and still do for my friends and family. However, I don’t owe anyone ANYTHING! I do what I do because I WANT to…not because I HAVE too.