As I received notice this morning, of the death of a young man, I began to immediately reflect on the idea of sacrifice. You see, not many people understand true sacrifice…That moment when you’ve said you’d lay down your life for someone else’s and that moment actually arrives…or when you make the acclimation that you’d give someone the shirt off your back until you come across someone who really needs it.

Lots of people speak about sacrifice but never have really practiced it.

As I continued to reflect, I began thinking about the things that I have given up over the years, the compromises I’ve made, the intention with which I’ve done things to ensure the happiness of others while sometimes neglecting my own and or not being concerned with reciprocation. Then it hit me. I’d be so disappointed if I predicated my sacrifices (or level of sacrifice) on expectations of returns in the same manner.

God has blessed me and given me a responsibility that I don’t think I asked for, but have accepted nonetheless. I understand that people will not have the same responsibility or even feel the need to repay you in the manner of which you have done for them.

I choose, not to compare what I do for others to what they do, or don’t do, for me.

I choose to be responsible for my own happiness and not to depend on a person, place or thing for that.

I choose to continue living in what I believe God has assigned me to do.

What do you choose?

Make sure your sacrifice does not come from a place of greed or gain. Always choose you first because if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t expect that someone will. But also, because how can you be there for someone else when you are in pain emotionally, mentally, and or physically?

How can you sacrifice for someone else when you’ve neglected to make sacrifices for yourself?