And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
Soon after a new resident moved into an old... New York City apartment building... he noticed the back lot... which was full of rubbish, trash and debris. Determined to do something about the lot... he petitioned the other tenants to help him clean it up and think about what else they could do to improve the lot.
Soon the tenants were busy cleaning and tossing their ideas around. They all agreed that they wanted more nature... put into their mostly concrete neighborhood. It was decided an arbor would give them a lush green area filled with climbing plants... and vibrant colors. The tenants planted climbing roses along with shrubs and bushes. They put bird feeders... and bird baths... they also put a few benches so they could enjoy all the greenery. They made their arbor an attraction to other neighbors and even inspired some of them to do the same thing.
Soon after a new resident moved into an old... New York City apartment building... he noticed the back lot... which was full of rubbish, trash and debris. Determined to do something about the lot... he petitioned the other tenants to help him clean it up and think about what else they could do to improve the lot.
Soon the tenants were busy cleaning and tossing their ideas around. They all agreed that they wanted more nature... put into their mostly concrete neighborhood. It was decided an arbor would give them a lush green area filled with climbing plants... and vibrant colors. The tenants planted climbing roses along with shrubs and bushes. They put bird feeders... and bird baths... they also put a few benches so they could enjoy all the greenery. They made their arbor an attraction to other neighbors and even inspired some of them to do the same thing.
Nearby... there is another arbor that is almost identical to the first one... with one stark difference... it stands bare and unused. Its sole adornment is a yellow weather vane... which has just about faded away, near one of the posts. There are no flowers blooming with color... no flourishing greenery... and no place to sit and enjoy anything. The wood appears to be much older and more weathered... it's a monument to futility... with no real purpose. The second arbor stands downright bare and wasted. The residents claim that they did not have as many tenants, who were interested in participating.... they also didn't have as much wood to work with. They found bushes and climbing roses proved to be rather expensive and no one in their building had ever made bird feeders.
Our lives stand like an arbor, a gift from God... waiting to be used. We can complain and say we need more help... or we don't have enough of what it will take... we can blame it on our age which too, has weathered and grown dull... or we can start planting. God will never judge you if your life has not flowered as beautifully as someone elses's. Yet, God will judge you... on whether you planted and used what he gave you.
Beethoven could surely have complained that his hearing was worse than others, and excused himself from even trying. He chose to plant instead and in the process, revolutionized the music industry.
Right now... God is petitioning us... He wants us to come to Him so that He can clean up our messes and make something beautiful. Yes, there will always be other arbors that will be bigger and more lush than our own... but there will also be those that are smaller... more dilapidated and limited. We have a choice to make: we can complain and make excuses... or we can simply start planting!
Your life and mine is a gift from God... what we make of it... is our gift to Him.
Our lives stand like an arbor, a gift from God... waiting to be used. We can complain and say we need more help... or we don't have enough of what it will take... we can blame it on our age which too, has weathered and grown dull... or we can start planting. God will never judge you if your life has not flowered as beautifully as someone elses's. Yet, God will judge you... on whether you planted and used what he gave you.
Beethoven could surely have complained that his hearing was worse than others, and excused himself from even trying. He chose to plant instead and in the process, revolutionized the music industry.
Right now... God is petitioning us... He wants us to come to Him so that He can clean up our messes and make something beautiful. Yes, there will always be other arbors that will be bigger and more lush than our own... but there will also be those that are smaller... more dilapidated and limited. We have a choice to make: we can complain and make excuses... or we can simply start planting!
Your life and mine is a gift from God... what we make of it... is our gift to Him.
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