Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Stuck or Soaring

One of our awesome South Campus sixth graders took a couple of amazing risks I want to talk to you about.  Victoria (or Tori as we call her) went on a two day retreat with her classmates to Beulah Beach in Vermillion, Ohio at the beginning of this school year.

One of the first activities was to put on rubber boots and walk through the lagoon.  Our leader pointed out all the cool things that grow and live in a lagoon, as we pushed through high grass, cattails and all kinds of colorful undergrowth.

One problem: mud.  Just as we thought we were coming to the end of our journey on the nice dry path, we encountered calf-high mud for about 400 yards.  Tori put her foot down; and when she pulled it back up, her boot was nowhere to be found.  Yep, we were stuck in the mud.

Fortunately, Mr. Lamm and I located her boot by digging with our hands beneath the mirky water of the lagoon for a few minutes.   Tori steadied herself by leaning on us, while she was trying to keep her balance on one foot.  Boot back in place, we began moving step by step until we were finally back on dry land.  There was a while, however, when we didn't know if we'd make it or not! Whew!

Another of the cool activities on our retreat was called "zip line."  It was sort of the opposite of the lagoon walk.  It started by climbing a very tall ladder so that from that high perch, we were looking over the lagoon which was 100 feet below.  Strapped to a cable, we were supposed jump off the ladder, free fall for a couple seconds and then sail through the open air over the lagoon.  If everything works, we were supposed to land 100 yards away on the Lake Erie Beach.

Tori looked up at her friends free falling off the ladder and said, "I don't think so."  I found out that Mrs. Crocker is pretty good at talking people into things though; because the next thing I knew, Tori had a helmet on and was on top of the ladder getting ready to jump!  She thought about it a while and then suddenly leaped into mid air, soared over the lagoon and in seconds was caught by Mr. Barrett 100 yards away on the beach.  Awesome!

Tori's two big risks got me to thinkin'.  Sometimes in your friendship to Jesus you may feel like you are "stuck in the mud."  Yes, you may be going to church and Christian school.  You might even be memorizing your verses for class and your mid-week AWANA or Kid's Club program, but you don't seem to be getting anywhere fast.  It seems like the same old stuff over and over again.  When you feel this way, keep taking the next step, God will teach you amazing things when you keep moving ahead with Him by being faithful.

The next thing you know you'll be able to see the meaning of that time "in the mud."  God will let you understand it, as He gives you His thoughts about it.  Isaiah 55:9 says, "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts."  That's God talking!  He sees things from high on "His ladder"; He looks down on the "lagoons" of our life and can direct us through them and teach us what they mean.

Just like Tori took the risk to keep moving in the mud, you and I can ask God to teach us when we feel stuck.  Our school verse says, "But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles... (Isaiah 40:31)."  And Isaiah finishes his great song in Isaiah 55 by saying, "You will live in joy and peace.  The mountains will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!  These events will bring great honor to the Lord's name; they will be an everlasting sign of His power and love."

Let's pray that back to Him, Okay?  Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the times of soaring high and the times of feeling stuck.  We know that You can use both these kinds of times to bring honor to Yourself through our lives.   Help us to understand Your thoughts, so we can look down on the "lagoons and eventually soar over them" with Your "joy and peace."  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Proud of you,
Pastor Wilson