What are you willing to sacrifice?

Sacrifice is a word we don't use much. Kind of goes against the grain of "you can have it all". To me sacrifice means to willingly give up something that I value for someone else. For some people that may be money. Can I give up my dream house, my plans to have a comfortable retirement, my vacation, my Starbucks coffee so that I can give that money somewhere else. For others it may be time. Will I give up my hobby, the sport I really enjoy playing, hanging out with friends so that I can use that times somewhere else? For me it is my preferences that are tough to sacrifice. I want things the way I like them. A friendship to be on my terms, a schedule that works conveniently for me, a church service that appeals to my style. See the tough part of sacrifice is that it requires us to step outside of what we want. Giving up something that doesn't matter to you isn't really a sacrifice. It may still be good to give it, but it isn't a sacrifice. Really sacrifice boils down to being selfless. Can we lay down what we want for someone else? Can I place someone else's desires ahead of my own? The sacrifice doesn't depend on the other person's needs or wants, it is about whether I choose to be selfless or selfish and really isn't that what it all comes down to anyways.

For me, it means today that I choose to give up my preferences in some relationships. Will it be tough? Yeah, hence the name sacrifice, but it is still comes down to a choice of whether I want it my way or if I am willing to give what someone else wants. What are you willing to sacrifice?