A random mental nugget

Rummaging through my quote books today, looking for good quotes to make into nice posters for the bathroom, I came across this quote that used to be one of my favorites.

"It does not take much of a man to be a Christian, but it takes all there is."

I've only recently begun to realize what that means.
One drawback of having known Jesus for so long is that I get familiar with Him sometimes, and expect more from Him than I deserve, without realizing that I don't deserve it; I take so much about this wonderful life for granted. Having just recently begun to "grow up" and face trials largely on my own, I realize how ignorant I am in so many areas--how much of being a good Christian is learning how to face the struggles and learning how to fight through them, just like learning Math. When the first ones come we're so shaken and debilitated and taken out, but we get better and better at fighting, and we learn more and more about ourselves.
I realized that I got confused and disillusioned with God when I didn't get the things I asked of Him. I had faith, and I believed that miracles were as real as any other part of my every-day life, but somehow my faith wasn't always enough. I lost a lot of my faith wondering why I didn't get the things I needed, the miracles I asked for, the things I thought would be good for me.
I would give some works and expect some blessings; I would make a little sacrifice and expect an even miracle. I would think in terms of giving and getting, like as if God was the cashier behind the counter that would give me goods in exchange for my cash.
But...since his love and blessings are infinitely priceless, how does that work?
I've come to realize that the only currency worth His time is total sacrifice, and total yieldedness. When I give all, He gives all. He isn't bothered with petty change.

I spent a long time wondering how valuable God's promises are, and exactly what it was that He could do for me, and what I would get out of giving everything to Him. I guess I thought I should get some idea of the blessings before I cashed in my cheques, like little tasters at the supermarket. I know now that my cheques were nothing to me until I cashed them; my life was like useless pieces of paper without the Lord's substance.
I spent a long time half-hoping and half-waiting on the Lord. He finally told me that I couldn't "half" any longer. He doesn't help those who have backup plans. He's not on the menu as a side-dish.
I spent a long time pinching my pennies, giving a little of this and a little of that, scrounging out what I thought I could afford. But the Lord isn't a scrooge, and he expects an even exchange. If He's going to give me anything at all, He wants to give me everything; so if He's going to get anything from me at all, He wants everything. How stupid of me to stiff Him by giving Him anything less than everything. How can I expect Him to be pleased when I drop pennies in His hat as if He were a beggar, when He is the richest Billionaire in the Universe?
I have to say that this is probably what I consider to be the most milestone realization in a long time: the only way to get anything from God is to give everything to God. But the everything we get in return is...definitely Wow. (Worth Our While. Hahahaha! Hey! That was like a "What's better than one revolution for Jesus?" kind of joke! Hahaha!)