Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
With a lot of us, school was more an obligation and a chore. We went because our parents told us to; especially as we got older. Now, in the early years it was an adventure of new places and people. A place for newfound friendships with the potential of a lifetime survival. However, as the studies became more involved, unless it was a topic that truly interested you, school was monotonous and melodramatic dogma. By senior year, most were ready to get out…not because they were well educated, but they felt as though they were trapped in a never-ending cycle of repetition.
I know that is how I felt most of the time. Because reading is not my favorite pastime and most education requires reading, it is safe to presume that I did the very bare minimum to attain the required skills to graduate. I wanted hands on experience…physical contact with the world; not sitting under a tree with a book. Where I do not regret my school year choices, in hindsight, I wish I had paid closer attention to certain aspects.
Getting older, I have found a new desire to reach for the wisdom of old. In one old country store, I found an old Boy Scout manual. In another, I found a schoolbook from 1924. I have a bible from the 1800s. For someone who is not a fan of reading, I am finding a desire to bring home these books. I have more treasures like these, but I tickled to think that I, of all people, have an interest in these books. There is something about the ways of old that, if there were such a thing as time travel, I have several eras that I would love to visit and see how they did things…in real time.
Isn’t this the same with our walk? When we are baby Christians, we (feel) and (claim) and (embrace) His presence. The actual physical contact is imbedded in our spirit. <The first years of elementary school.> As we continue on our walk and begin the seemingly endless battles of the dark side battling our every move, it somehow becomes a chore. We want to ‘lay hands’ for healing the stupid. We want to ‘cast out’ the lack of common sense. We want to ‘fix’ the unsaved. And we want it now. <middle/high school> If we go off to college, the military or start a full-time job; we tend to fade away from our calling in order to smooth our path out. Do not want to wrinkle any feathers. Let’s do what we need to, but don’t rock the boat. <early adult life>
Sound familiar?
Then one day, for no apparent reason, you decide that reading, and learning, and retaining, and speaking are important. That you now know what your purpose is in life. As soon as that veil is lifted and your eyes are completely open, the enemy gets scared and tries to use your life as a setback and tell you that you are not worth or good enough that your previous antics will keep you from attaining your goal now and you should just quit. (awesome run-on sentence aint it).
In my later years I have thought back to how many times, since my conversion at 16, I have had the opportunity to spread the Good news. Also, how many times I have chosen the quieter path to avoid conflict? How many times I have passed opportunities to learn because I thought it would be boring. Then…He shows me a new book. A book that drives my heart to purchase and skim. A book filled with history and wonder. A glimpse into the time travel requests I made earlier. An opportunity to broaden my mind and increase my education.
As Christians we are called to build the Kingdom, however you cannot build a new building with rotting wood. It will not stand. You must purchase new materials. So, as I enlighten my view of different things of past and present, I open doors to be able to witness to more people. I find new avenues to use as metaphors for their questions. I increase my confidence to talk to anyone about His gift to me. My walk is no longer monotonous dogma; it is now the first day of Kindergarten all over again.
Open your eyes and mind to different areas of your walk and embrace the prospect of leading a lost soul to the peace that you enjoy.
Be blessed today my friends.
***Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. – Hebrews 13:1-2
With a lot of us, school was more an obligation and a chore. We went because our parents told us to; especially as we got older. Now, in the early years it was an adventure of new places and people. A place for newfound friendships with the potential of a lifetime survival. However, as the studies became more involved, unless it was a topic that truly interested you, school was monotonous and melodramatic dogma. By senior year, most were ready to get out…not because they were well educated, but they felt as though they were trapped in a never-ending cycle of repetition.
I know that is how I felt most of the time. Because reading is not my favorite pastime and most education requires reading, it is safe to presume that I did the very bare minimum to attain the required skills to graduate. I wanted hands on experience…physical contact with the world; not sitting under a tree with a book. Where I do not regret my school year choices, in hindsight, I wish I had paid closer attention to certain aspects.
Getting older, I have found a new desire to reach for the wisdom of old. In one old country store, I found an old Boy Scout manual. In another, I found a schoolbook from 1924. I have a bible from the 1800s. For someone who is not a fan of reading, I am finding a desire to bring home these books. I have more treasures like these, but I tickled to think that I, of all people, have an interest in these books. There is something about the ways of old that, if there were such a thing as time travel, I have several eras that I would love to visit and see how they did things…in real time.
Isn’t this the same with our walk? When we are baby Christians, we (feel) and (claim) and (embrace) His presence. The actual physical contact is imbedded in our spirit. <The first years of elementary school.> As we continue on our walk and begin the seemingly endless battles of the dark side battling our every move, it somehow becomes a chore. We want to ‘lay hands’ for healing the stupid. We want to ‘cast out’ the lack of common sense. We want to ‘fix’ the unsaved. And we want it now. <middle/high school> If we go off to college, the military or start a full-time job; we tend to fade away from our calling in order to smooth our path out. Do not want to wrinkle any feathers. Let’s do what we need to, but don’t rock the boat. <early adult life>
Sound familiar?
Then one day, for no apparent reason, you decide that reading, and learning, and retaining, and speaking are important. That you now know what your purpose is in life. As soon as that veil is lifted and your eyes are completely open, the enemy gets scared and tries to use your life as a setback and tell you that you are not worth or good enough that your previous antics will keep you from attaining your goal now and you should just quit. (awesome run-on sentence aint it).
In my later years I have thought back to how many times, since my conversion at 16, I have had the opportunity to spread the Good news. Also, how many times I have chosen the quieter path to avoid conflict? How many times I have passed opportunities to learn because I thought it would be boring. Then…He shows me a new book. A book that drives my heart to purchase and skim. A book filled with history and wonder. A glimpse into the time travel requests I made earlier. An opportunity to broaden my mind and increase my education.
As Christians we are called to build the Kingdom, however you cannot build a new building with rotting wood. It will not stand. You must purchase new materials. So, as I enlighten my view of different things of past and present, I open doors to be able to witness to more people. I find new avenues to use as metaphors for their questions. I increase my confidence to talk to anyone about His gift to me. My walk is no longer monotonous dogma; it is now the first day of Kindergarten all over again.
Open your eyes and mind to different areas of your walk and embrace the prospect of leading a lost soul to the peace that you enjoy.
Be blessed today my friends.
***Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. – Hebrews 13:1-2
Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
With a lot of us, school was more an obligation and a chore. We went because our parents told us to; especially as we got older. Now, in the early years it was an adventure of new places and people. A place for newfound friendships with the potential of a lifetime survival. However, as the studies became more involved, unless it was a topic that truly interested you, school was monotonous and melodramatic dogma. By senior year, most were ready to get out…not because they were well educated, but they felt as though they were trapped in a never-ending cycle of repetition.
I know that is how I felt most of the time. Because reading is not my favorite pastime and most education requires reading, it is safe to presume that I did the very bare minimum to attain the required skills to graduate. I wanted hands on experience…physical contact with the world; not sitting under a tree with a book. Where I do not regret my school year choices, in hindsight, I wish I had paid closer attention to certain aspects.
Getting older, I have found a new desire to reach for the wisdom of old. In one old country store, I found an old Boy Scout manual. In another, I found a schoolbook from 1924. I have a bible from the 1800s. For someone who is not a fan of reading, I am finding a desire to bring home these books. I have more treasures like these, but I tickled to think that I, of all people, have an interest in these books. There is something about the ways of old that, if there were such a thing as time travel, I have several eras that I would love to visit and see how they did things…in real time.
Isn’t this the same with our walk? When we are baby Christians, we (feel) and (claim) and (embrace) His presence. The actual physical contact is imbedded in our spirit. <The first years of elementary school.> As we continue on our walk and begin the seemingly endless battles of the dark side battling our every move, it somehow becomes a chore. We want to ‘lay hands’ for healing the stupid. We want to ‘cast out’ the lack of common sense. We want to ‘fix’ the unsaved. And we want it now. <middle/high school> If we go off to college, the military or start a full-time job; we tend to fade away from our calling in order to smooth our path out. Do not want to wrinkle any feathers. Let’s do what we need to, but don’t rock the boat. <early adult life>
Sound familiar?
Then one day, for no apparent reason, you decide that reading, and learning, and retaining, and speaking are important. That you now know what your purpose is in life. As soon as that veil is lifted and your eyes are completely open, the enemy gets scared and tries to use your life as a setback and tell you that you are not worth or good enough that your previous antics will keep you from attaining your goal now and you should just quit. (awesome run-on sentence aint it).
In my later years I have thought back to how many times, since my conversion at 16, I have had the opportunity to spread the Good news. Also, how many times I have chosen the quieter path to avoid conflict? How many times I have passed opportunities to learn because I thought it would be boring. Then…He shows me a new book. A book that drives my heart to purchase and skim. A book filled with history and wonder. A glimpse into the time travel requests I made earlier. An opportunity to broaden my mind and increase my education.
As Christians we are called to build the Kingdom, however you cannot build a new building with rotting wood. It will not stand. You must purchase new materials. So, as I enlighten my view of different things of past and present, I open doors to be able to witness to more people. I find new avenues to use as metaphors for their questions. I increase my confidence to talk to anyone about His gift to me. My walk is no longer monotonous dogma; it is now the first day of Kindergarten all over again.
Open your eyes and mind to different areas of your walk and embrace the prospect of leading a lost soul to the peace that you enjoy.
Be blessed today my friends.
***Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. – Hebrews 13:1-2
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