Obstacle Illusions Rerun
This past weekend there was a church grounds work day. It was one of those “déjà vu moments all over again”; you know the thought: “I’ve done this before!” So, I wrote this before…
Is it just me or do you also have “interesting” thoughts when you are out of your normal routine? The Trustee Team had a work day recently and we had to move a lot of dirt to grade the court yard. It was a bunch of manual labor: shovel dirt into a wheelbarrow, walk with the wheelbarrow from the parking lot to the court yard, dump the wheelbarrow, walk back to the parking lot, repeat. After about 45 minutes you go into autopilot. After an hour and a half you try to estimate how many more round trips it will take. After two hours you start with the interesting thoughts. Fortunately, I have this outlet to vent and formulate the thoughts…
Well, I was looking at this pile of dirt that was not getting any smaller, and I thought: “Jesus said something about the faith to move mountains, I wonder if he said anything about moving a pile of dirt?” How great would it be to say to the pile of dirt, “Go spread yourself in the courtyard!” Two hours after that, I scooped the last shovelful of dirt into the wheelbarrow.
I do not know what your pile of dirt is. I do not know what will be placed in your path, what will become an obstacle to you. I do not know how you will get around that obstacle, nor do I have advice on moving that obstacle. I will not tell you God put that obstacle in front of you, I will not tell you God will move the mountain if you have enough faith. We are living in a pile of dirt, this world under a curse because of sin. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” John 16:33
However, Jesus continues, “But take heart, I have overcome the world.” The life of a Christian is a life in tension: “the already, but not yet”; Jesus paid the price for sin, but the end of this world is still to come. So why “Obstacle Illusions” you may ask? Again, I will not tell you that your obstacles are illusions to you: they are very real. It’s just one of those “interesting thoughts” while moving a pile of dirt.
Not the brain, but one of the muscles of the Trustee Team:
Steve Skiver
It is an obstacle illusion rerun, it occurred to me, after moving a new pile of dirt. A new pile of dirt that looked remarkably like the old pile of dirt. I know I put the last shovelful of dirt into the wheelbarrow two years ago, and again this weekend. When is the next time I will be asked to move another pile of dirt? Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen. (Revelation 22: 20-21 ESV)
Not the removal of dirt, but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Steve Skiver