July 26, 2022 – Click here to listen
I was on my back porch watching a herd of whitetail deer feeding the other evening. I had some powerful binoculars and saw two majestic bucks, and several does and fawns. Two of the fawns appeared to be perhaps a week or so old. They had spots and were smaller than a mid-sized dog. What they lost in diminished size they made up for in energy as they raced back and forth at breakneck speed frolicking while the rest of the herd calmly fed on the lush green field.
This scene reminded me of my neighbor’s young son whom I’ve given a summer job. He has more energy than a barrel of monkeys. He gets to going too fast sometimes and is like a bull in a china shop, but he gets a lot done. I slowly walk around the barn methodically working to get it cleaned and organized while he runs around like a chicken with its head cut off. Together we make quite the team.
I still have boxes that remain unopened, and it doesn’t seem to bother me like it once did. I work my way through them slowly but surely. Last night my wife was marveling at how much I had accomplished in such a short time. The barn is sparkling clean, and it is quasi organized. When I moved here, I was appalled when I first walked inside it. It was dusty, grimy, and junk was everywhere. The transition has indeed been remarkable.
I was thinking about the transition in my life. During my early years it was filthy-dirty and filled with garbage. I have worked since the young age of 24 to methodically get it cleaned up and organized. In my youth I was running around like those little fawns trying to get it all done in a day or two. Now like one of those old bucks I walk and don’t run to my next assignment. I prioritize things and the results are good.
Though I would have preferred to get saved and baptized as a child, fortunately I finally saw the light and was able to serve the Lord with vigor for many decades. Now I have slowed down, but just last week shared my testimony with two new friends. One doesn’t need the youth and the energy of a fawn to serve God, I still get things done. The key in my estimation is to make a plan and go about it at your own speed but with methodical discipline. Just like cleaning up my barn, we have to keep working at it every day and have a plan. If one is young you can run; if you are older like me you can walk, but always keep moving toward the light no matter your age. The results will be marvelous, and I believe will put a joyful smile on the face of Jesus. With faith we can be effective right up until the moment God calls us home.
Mark 11:22
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God”.