TREADING WATER IS BETTER THAN DROWNING

As I am writing to you, I am looking through the window in my office at one of God’s many magnificent wonders in all of nature, a giant oak tree. The circumference of its trunk is unknown, but I do know that no mere human could possibly put his arms around it. Its height as well has never been measured, but it towers above our office space. Its spread is massive, casting a huge engulfing shadow on the ground every afternoon. For all of these reasons and more I’m sure that we could all agree that it is simply amazing to gaze upon a grand old oak tree. The point is this, how long did God take to grow that tree to the splendid beautiful object that it has become and we behold today? Let’s just say it took more than a day, a month, or even a year. Hm-hm-hm, could there be a lesson here?
Have you ever heard the old story about a cracked water jug in which the jug thought that it was useless? As a Chinese villager went each day from the village to the watering hole he carried two water jugs attached to a bamboo pole across his shoulders. While one of the jugs was whole, the other had a small crack and leaked about half of its contents with each trip from the watering hole to the village. The whole jug boasted about his superiority making the broken jug feel ashamed and worthless. Each day the complaining got worse and worse as the broken jug was humiliated and counted itself as a total failure. Just then the water carrier said to the broken jug, “When we return to the village today look along the path.” When he did he saw a beautifully lined flower path all the way home! What the broken jug hadn’t realized is that even though it was flawed and felt that the circumstances were hopeless, in actuality it was still being used for something beautiful by its owner. Hm-hm-hm, could there be a lesson here?
As summer grows closer to an end for another year, I have vivid memories of days spent splashing around in our local pool with my daughters. While they are now avid swimmers, it hasn’t always been that way. In the beginning, it was quite an accomplishment for them just to tread water. Then little by little, day by day, week by weeks, very slowly, and even year to year they have learned to dive into the deep end and swim! They too complained all along the way, Daddy I can’t do anything, I’m not doing anything, it’s taking too long, but look at them now and they are not done yet!
I just wanted to encourage you today, church, that even though we are struggling along and it seems sometimes like we are backing up or that we’re not accomplishing much. Even though we might even like to give up, just have faith and know that God is working. We, like the oak tree, are growing into something magnificent, and it does take a long time. We are also like the broken water jug and if we had the right perspective through the eyes of faith in our great God, we would see that we are a part of making something even more beautiful than flowers. Finally, if you feel like these days that we are barely treading water, know that it is something, and that it is BETTER than drowning!

I love you and pray for you,
Pastor Scott