I have a sugar hangover.

After an evening of stuffing my face with sugar there is still one phrase ringing in my ears.

“Just take one”

Many parents have to divide and conquer on these types of evenings. One person goes around with the kids door to door while the other stays back and hands out the candy.

The alternative:  leave an exposed bowl of candy on the porch with a sign that says:

“Just take one”

That didn’t work out so well for us last year – our big Tupperware bowl of candy ended up in one child’s bag.  I’m sure of it.  So this year I decided to stay home and distribute our $50 worth of candy to more than just one goblin.

Please don’t  judge that child who happily skips up the driveway, grabs the bowl and tips over half of it into her bag then proceeds to giggle and cheer that she got all the candy.

My kids screamed down the street – “Hey!  There’s a “take one” house just over there!”  Yup, I am a parent of a child who was probably one who took more than one.

Don’t be so quick to judge.  How often have you taken more than just one?  You have but one life and so often you live as if you have more.

Some of us struggle with trying to do more than possible for just one person. We fill in the gaps other people leave and take those responsibilities upon ourselves.  When in fact, we are only designed to live but one life – those tasks weren’t ours for the taking and should be left alone.  Its rightful owner needs to find them again.

That’s my struggle.

Just take one.

Some of you struggle with collecting things. More things
than one person really needs. More things then God ever designed us to have in the first place.  Its never enough – a sorry little game that to many have become prey to.  The end is ugly.

 Just take one.

Others will mess up by collecting relationships they shouldn’t.

They just take.

That one you have your eye on is already taken.  She is committed to “just one” – so too are you.

Others forget that they are in fact entitled to take one.  You are allowed to be who you are so intrinsically designed to be.  Don’t ever let someone take that away from you.  You are responsible to actually take one.

Take one.

And the list could go on.  Some take too much and some too little.  We create new chaos each year.  Grabbing unto or reaching out for more than one thing at a time and things that do not belong to us.  Things we are not entitled to.  They control us.  They were never meant to control us.

How do I figure out the art of taking just one?

Thats part of your journey and part of mine and hopefully you and I will surround ourselves with people who will hold you up to it.

So before you are annoyed with the child who took your bowl of candy off your front porch last night or reached into your bowl for “just one” more.

Ask yourself.

Did you take more than one today?

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.Against such things there is no law.