When I received
the following email story,
I thought, oh I
have gotten this one before and
pressed the
‘delete’ key. But just as fast as I
did,
I hit “escape”
also, so I could read the story again
and with perhaps
from a different angle this time.
Give and Receive
It was the day AFTER Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The
preacher of the church was looking at the manger scene,
when he noticed that the baby Jesus figure was missing from the
cradle.
He immediately turned and went outside and saw a little boy with a
red wagon walking down the street.
And in the wagon, was the figure of the infant Jesus. So he walked up
to the boy and said, "Son, where did you get that little baby
Jesus that's
in your wagon?" The little boy replied, "I got him from the
church." And
why did you take him?" asked the preacher. The little boy replied,
"Well,
about a week before Christmas, I prayed to the little Lord Jesus. I told him if
he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas,
I would give him a ride around the block in it."
Now
what did this little story say to me?
So very often we feel a need for help from a source of more
power
than we can ever generate ourselves. Think about the words we say or
at least run through our mind as we pray. How often have you bargained
just a bit, such as this little boy did. “you know Lord, I sometimes have turned
my back on you. I know it was wrong but I really need you now,
and you are in
front of me at this moment”
What does this say? When I don’t
feel I need you,
You are not leading my life, but if you help me, I will keep you
in the driver’s seat.
Now, what if you receive the help you need? Do you keep God up front and guiding your
life?
Or since your immediate needs have been filled, you attempt the Driver’s
Seat yourself?
Or like this little boy, do you keep the promise you made to God
in your prayers?
The Praise:
Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes our memories are short when it comes
time to remember
what we have promised to you in our time of need. Help us, guide us, remind us and please
Dear Lord, please take the steering wheel in our lives.
Amen
Have a
story you would like to share?