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Topic: Power (05/10/04)
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TITLE: Some Thoughts on Power By Emory May 05/11/04 |
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By
Emory G May
When I was a kid growing up in the country, I was issued a challenge, you know the dumb things that kids are told. I was told that if you picked a calf up every day, from the day it was born, when it was grown, you could still pick it up.
Well being the curious child that I was, I tried it but to be honest, I don’t know if it is true or not because I never finished the course. I got tired, I had other things to do, I forgot it, a million and one reasons I am sure went through my mind that kept me from ever completing the challenge.
As I got older, I took on a more realistic goal. I wanted to look like a muscle man, but in order to do that I had to exercise; boy do those guys have to exercise! It wasn’t long until I was too tired, I had other things to do, I forgot it, and a million and two reasons went through my mind to keep me from ever achieving my goal.
Then one day I met a man, who told me I could move mountains. Now anyone with any smarts knows you can’t move mountains without some pretty hefty equipment, after all I wasn’t born yesterday. So for years I ignored the challenge and either climbed over, went around, or simply stayed where I was and gave up. But that meant that my life was never reaching the goals that I felt like I could achieve. I finally got tired of giving up; wish I had done that when I was a kid. Then I would know if I could pick up a grown cow.
You know, I learned a lesson there too...that in order to move mountains His way took a lot of determination and effort as well. I realize that I never had to spend time in a sweaty gym, with a bunch of smelly people, wiping perspiration, but it was work never the less. It took months to learn how to move mountains, and to realize that I could, was my first lesson. I really didn’t believe that I could pick up a grown cow when I started with the calves. If I had, I might have stuck with it and today I would know if it is possible. I never believed that I could look like Arnold, because I didn’t have his genes and surely that had something to do with it. But when I believed I could move mountains that changed my life. No more going over, around or giving up, but moving that ‘sucker’ and reaching my goal enhanced my life in every way. So the first lesson on power is, you have to believe you can!
The second lesson built upon the first and it was simply this. It takes a long time and lots and lots of effort. Someone said years ago that Rome wasn’t built in a day and that is probably true for most things worthwhile. Someone else has said, that anything worth having is worth working for. I have found that to be true with moving mountains. I have found that persistent is the groundwork of everything lasting. So much of the time we are looking for the “quick” way to reach our goals. I guess a strong part of learning persistence is believing that whatever you are going after is worth the time and effort, whether it be a job or a marriage.
The third lesson concerns the source of power to do the job. Everything has to have a source to draw from to be able to do its task. Sometimes it is a few volts, and at times it is millions of volts, but something has to provide the supply. In order to move mountains in life, there is only one source. It is called prayer, but now that’s another lesson and another story.
I have found through the years, that mountains are simply small obstacles in life’s struggle. They can be moved and the path opened to a life filled with meaning and purpose. So much of the time, we struggle over the most useless things; we spend so much of our time wasting our efforts, only to fail at reaching our goal. Jesus said on one occasion, “I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
When I was a kid, there were artesian wells, which had been flowing for years near where I lived. Anytime you were thirsty, you could stop, have a drink, and have your thirst quenched. That’s what “abundant” life is! It is when we allow God to guide us to the source of power He has for us. Sometimes to do that, we must move mountains and that demands persistence. I hope you know where your source of strength lies.