Family

Jan

2018

The Sandbox

I was sitting outside recently looking at the landscape of our small yard and I noticed a slight depression near the edge bordering the alleyway. My mind drifted back 4 years ago, when in that very spot, there used to be a sandbox, and I recalled how the story of the sandbox unfolded.

I had built our youngest son a sandbox, so he could enjoy the fun of building and dozing in the dirt; something every little boy loves to do. During the summer months, he and neighborhood friends, day after day would occupy the sandbox.

As the years went by and our son grew older, the sandbox received less and less attention and began to fill up with weeds, and the fancy digging toys, now rusted tight, had lost their luster.

That year our youngest son Luke, spent most of his time riding bikes with friends, playing basketball down the street, and really did not spend too much time in the sandbox. I considered pulling out the sandbox, filling it in with topsoil, and planting grass.

As I contemplated the fate of the forgotten sandbox, memories of my own childhood flashed across my mind. I could remember hours playing in the dirt, the fun I had with the neighborhood children.

I remember walking into our house, gathering scornful looks from my mother, as I left a trail of dirt on my way to the kitchen sink to clean up.

What was to become of the old sandbox.

I asked my son one day what he thought about the idea of filling in the sandbox, and he seemed a little indifferent about it; as if it was not terribly important to him either.

Over the next few weeks, I gathered up some of the older toys, sending them off to the trash heap, never to be used again. I must admit I had twinges of guilt as I did it.

School let out for summer vacation, and one day I noticed my son, and a couple of his friends, ages 10 to 14, digging in the sandbox … and I mean digging! Over the course of the next 3 weeks, we had as many as 10 neighborhood boys, coming to dig in the sandbox; they were coming with shovels!

The sandbox measured about 12’ x 10’ and they had dug a hole in the sandbox that was about 5’ in diameter and about 4’ deep.

Soon, the neighborhood moms and dads were coming to our yard to gaze at the sight; at least a half-dozen boys or more, with shovels digging away, no set purpose, just digging.

Well, I was astonished and amazed. I asked the kids what they planned to do with this incredible “hole.” It did not seem right to fill it in, but what could they do with it. They thought of all kinds of things from a swimming pool to a well.

After several weeks of intense cogitating about what to do with the hole; to my amazement when I came home from the office one day, I saw that the kids had filled in the hole, and was starting another project in the sandbox.

This time they created incredible miniature cities, with lakes, roads, parks, stores; their imaginations were running wild. Kids were coming to the sandbox with dozens and dozens of matchbox cars, boats, and all kinds of “things.”

Night after night, the kids were filling our yard, and as daylight turned to darkness, they began planning the newest addition to continue the next morning. Amazing!

Important lessons about life were being learned in the sandbox.

The kids were learning incredible lessons at the sandbox, lessons like; cooperation, sharing, vision casting, honing leadership skills, teamwork, and so much more!

After watching this incredible display of innovation and leadership coming from kids, 10 to 14 years old, I wondered; what would happen if the church could catch this determination.

You see, the kids had one objective; “dig dirt.” What it looks like, how it happens, is not important; what is important, is dirt digging!

As long as “digging dirt” is the main objective, then everyone is happy. The minute one of the boys sees his corner of the sandbox becoming more important than someone else’s corner, the whole project gets bogged down; dirt digging comes to a sudden stop.

Only when there is a resolution to the favoritism, or if the pet project is relinquished, can the real work of “digging dirt” begin again.

I wonder if the church could learn these lessons too.

How many times do we forget that our primary focus in the church is to reach lost people with the Good News of Jesus Christ? As long as we stay focused on “Knowing God, and Making Him Known” then we can get much done.

We tend to bog down when we think that our particular ministry, or service project, is the best, or the most important. Our feelings get hurt when someone else’s idea eclipses our own; we take offense and go sit down in the corner, and the work slows down, joy ceases, and very little “dirt digging” takes place!

Sometimes we simply need to come to our senses and fill in the hole and start over! Then digging dirt becomes the primary focus again.

Works for the kids; maybe it will work for the church too. I for one want to spend more time digging dirt than slinging it.

Jesus said that we should be about the Father’s business, and what is that? It is reaching God’s cherished missing with the Good News that Jesus is Lord!

Grab a shovel and let’s get digging!

Dec

2017

Money, Money, Money

There sure is a great deal of emphasis on the acquisition of money and economic gain these days. It seems to fill the hearts and minds of most folks. The recent tax adjustments made by the government, appear to have the potential to create extra income for many people.

Economic growth and financial success could be beneficial, however, we need to be very careful not to place too much trust and hope in those increases.

We have to ask; what is the reason we desire to have more and more money. Is it so we can live a more luxurious life, so we can have the biggest house, the fanciest car, or the biggest bank account?

Too often, we gauge the success of a person, based on the amount of money they can access, or on the quantity of “things” they own; neither of these is an accurate gauge of one’s worth.

He scrimped and saved to make ends meet

I knew a man who never really had a great deal of money and he always scrimped and scraped to provide for his family. He traveled the countryside to find a place he could call his own.

After several years of looking, he found a small property and decided to rent it; he did not have the money to buy.

He worked part-time jobs, even selling Fuller Brush shoe products to make ends meet. He worked day shift and night shift jobs as his family grew. His family expanded; and so did the need to provide.

In order to meet the growing need, he took what little he had saved and bought a small Farmall tractor so he could till the 2-acre patch of land in his backyard.

He planted vegetables, strawberries, and even raspberries. He and his wife would can hundreds of quarts of produce to carry them through the winter months; having a little extra to sell.

He put together a small fruit and vegetable stand out by the roadside and taught his kids how to sell the vegetables for a few extra bucks.

As the years went by, he was eventually able to purchase the home he had rented for all those years. The fruit and vegetable stand would help pay the taxes on that property.

His children did not have many of the luxuries of this world, but they had food to eat and a safe home to grow up in. They learned the value of hard work, the importance of strong family relationships, and the blessings that flowed from a home full of love.

He always wished he could have done more

Many years later, as the children grew up and began leaving the nest; the father came to one of his kids and lamented; “You know, I always wished I could have given you kids more than I did; I tried my best, but this little 3 acre plot was all I could do.”

The son looked at the father and said; “But Dad, look around, you gave us all of this.” The son pointed to the beautiful mountains surrounding the little homestead, he pointed to the scenic little river behind the house and reminded his father of the countless hours of joy the kids had exploring those mountains and swimming in the creek.

He reminded the father of the safety of this little village we called home, the love and affection that mom and dad gave all the kids.

No dad, we had far more than most, even though in the eyes of the world we were poor; that is just not true; we were rich beyond measure.

That father was a success story; did he have great wealth . . . no, but he was rich in so many ways. Money could never have bought the things that really mattered.

Money cannot purchase respect or love. It cannot purchase loyalty or the satisfaction of hard work. Money cannot purchase faith in God, nor can it buy you entrance into heaven! No, money is fleeting, and over time it disappears and all you have is an empty wallet.

Use caution when pursuing financial gain

So be careful about chasing after money and material, because you risk losing everything if you do. The Bible says:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

It is okay to have money, and even lots of it; keeping it all in perspective is what counts. If your main aim is the acquisition of money for the sake of personal gain, then you are on a dangerous pathway.

Envy, greed, and selfishness are anxious to collaborate with you in your financial endeavors. Use extreme caution as you pursue economic gain.

The goal of the man referenced in my story was not financial gain, but rather a safe, caring, and healthy home for his family.

He was a stunning success in his efforts to provide such a dream. Oh, and did I mention this man was my father.

Thanks, Dad!