The Little Engine That Could

For some reason I got to thinking about; can I or may I.  I remember my oldest sister telling me, “It’s not, can I, but should be, may I.”  When you are a kid, you really don’t care which way it is said, just as long as you get the answer you are looking for.  She was only trying to help and I guess she did because fifteen years later I was saying much the same things to a new generation.

It was something I was thinking about this week when things were not going the way I would have liked. For a while I didn’t know the answer until I remember the words of my sister and it all came together. The light came on when I realized that I really can do some things because it’s all about our God given talents. And I may do things because He gives us permission. So I opened my bible and look up the word ‘can’.  Out of the one thousand sixty four times it appears, this one stood out for me.  Psalm 56:11 ‘In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?’ Of course this verse is situation specific.

Let me tell you, people can do a lot to us.  I remember walking home from grade six and getting hit by another kid. Lost a tooth over that one. So much for this wonderful verse. Let me say to you, the verse is true, I was just messing with your head. You see, David was not talking about physical injury; he was talking about our hearts. Remember the verse, “If God is for us, who can be against us”? These verses are so intertwined.

Over the years I have learned what my sister was saying. She wanted us to discover the difference between, ‘may I’, which refers to asking permission, and ‘can I’ which revolves around things we can seek to do. Job, Solomon, even David stood silently before God and asked for the strength and courage to do something if God would let them. God gave them all they needed. He gave them capacities and He gave them permission.  Can you see Samson, blind, weak and beaten asking God for permission to once more, and only once more glorify Him with the destruction that came in that palace. He asked, ‘may I?’. 

The next time you want or need to do something for God, try to remember, He has given you both. He had given you abilities to accomplish amazing things for Him, and when He gives you the capabilities, He also gives you permission to complete your task for His Glory. And then think of your childhood book, The Little Engine That Could.

Something to think about.

Rob

GPS & Beyond

Have you ever felt lost? I'm referring to those times where we are to go somewhere and be someplace at a certain time and we, shall I say it, get lost. There are times when we neither know where we are or where we are going. That’s lost. Lots of comic relief out there and I can hear you thinking of men who never stop to ask directions. But that is another discussion for another time knowing that being lost can be a thing of the past.

Which leads me to our going through this new electronic age. It probably started with GPS.  And for you who have one you know it stands for Global Positioning Systems. These fascinating devices can take you from where you are to where you want to be. Well, most of the time. Not so with the unfortunate fellow that drove off the pier one evening… GPS was a great improvement on the former way of finding your way around. Let me call that device, Passenger Navigator.

Then we had our computers, which now come in many forms. You can go to Google Maps or Mapquest and presto, you discover how to get where you are going. For some that too is already old hat. These individuals now reach for their phones and, if you have one of those, ‘Apps’ on your phone, you can also get to where you need to go and get there on time. Does anyone remember when phones were for only making phone calls? All these devices give you times and route and even in some cases, alternate routes due to traffic congestion. No, don’t start singing, “I’ve Been Everywhere”.

What an amazing electronic age we are in. Which leads me to the BOOK. I believe the Bible is our GPS for life. It guides us and moves up from being lost, to being found as we read in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” This one is the best even when we feel lost in the crowd.  Jesus Christ comes to us and takes our hand and leads us to where we need to be. That means never being lost again.

Now we can sing, “And he walks with me And He talks with me, And He tells me I am his own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.

Something to think about.

Rob

Not Just One Day

Just wanted you to know you still have time.  And if you forgot, let me remind you that this coming Sunday could be a wonderful day if you don’t forget. Yes, - Mother’s Day.  One day in the year when we take pause and remember the mothers we have had and the mothers still with us.

Here is something to think about. Carnations.  Yes, carnations are the flower of Mother’s Day. Not Roses or geraniums. Let me enlighten you some more. Colour, Pink carnations are the traditional colour for celebrating Mother’s Day. It’s their colour. Then again you can choose one of two other colours. White represents a mother who is missed in death or distance, and red represents life and love of a living mother. Hope that clears it up for all of you.

In a few days, you will get one chance to get it right.  Then again, you can make every day special when you see your mom, or call her or maybe even text her. We don’t have to wait for a special day if we think our mom is special. We can make every day special for them when we let them know, no matter what the flower or colour, that we love them.

The same goes for loving God who picked for us the most perfect mother ever. We don’t have to wait for Christmas or Easter or even wait until Sunday to let Him know of our love for Him. Didn’t He, like our mothers, tell us first that they love us.  “For God so loved . . .

Something to think about

Rob