Hello,
Today I
found out why I am a pastor…..and not a painter.
I’ve been looking for a day to stain our deck amid the days and weeks of rain and scorching
heat. With a couple days of no
rain, and mild temperatures, I decided that this was the day. So, after leading the worship for
vacation Bible school, I cam home cracked open the gallon of stain and prepared
to tackle the deck. I slapped the
stain on the deck and the interior of the railing and then set my sights on the
exterior railing for which I needed a ladder to reach. I went to the garage, got my 8 foot
step ladder, and set it next to the house where the deck connects to the house. I nudged the ladder and jiggled it to
make sure it was climb-worthy, then I picked up the gallon of stain, which was
about a third full, and began my
ascent. I reached the 7 foot
level, braced myself on the ladder, stuck my paint brush in my stain, and
reached for the railing, the target of my brush.
Apparently, my reach changed the pressure on the legs of my ladder, and
before I knew it, the front right leg of my ladder sank into the ground,
tipping the ladder in an angle that only could send it earthward. “Uh oh,” I yelled to the trees and fields,
because there wasn’t anyone around, and down I went. In a split second I found myself plunging to the ground,
which I hit rear-end first. For
some reason, I remember thinking that I needed to keep the can of paint above
me so it wouldn’t spill….forget that…, for when my rear end hit the ground my
elbow which was connected to my hand holding the paint soon followed, and the
paint, following the laws of physics, fountained upwards….all over me. Not too worry, I don’t think I got
hurt, because thankfully I hit some soft ground….which was the culprit of my
fall in the first place. The only
thing I hurt was my pride and my pocketbook, now needing to purchase another
gallon of stain to make up for the stain that was soaking into the ground.
Jesus said that a wise man builds his house on the rock (him) so that
when the storms come the foundation holds. Let me modify his parable and say, that I learned today,
that a wise man sets his ladder on firm ground (all four legs) so that when the
pressure hits, the ladder doesn’t topple.
The world is good at reminding us of setting our ladders on firm
ground…at least three of the legs.
It is important to make good financial decisions. It is important to develop friends and
deep relationships. It is important
to sharpen our skills, whether in a job, at school, or athletically….. but it
is also important to make sure that you set your heart on something solid,
too….set it on something solid to hold you together when life comes unraveled,
set it on something with forgiveness when you can hardly stand to look at
yourself in the mirror, set it on something bright when the confusing fog of
the world rolls in, and set it on something strong that has the power to
overwhelm the darkness of death.
To set your heart on something soft is perilous…believe me….I found out
today….
After my spill, and trip to the paint store for another gallon of stain,
I started placing rocks under the feet of my ladder….and guess what….it
worked! Certainly, there are
important things to set the ladder of your life on that the world gives you
lots of direction to do so….so let me…by virtue of my self inflicted learning moment… invite you
to find a solid rock for that fourth….the foot that is directly connected to
your heart….where the deepest and most important things lie.
Let me invite you to come to church this Sunday and set the leg of your
ladder on the one who names himself as the “solid rock”….stomp on it hard….with
all the weight that you are carrying on your shoulders, with all the tonnage of
disappointment that you wheel around every day, with all the sadness that your
failures have brought you, and with all the joy that adorns your life….see if
your ladder tilts, or stays steady…..and if it stays steady (and I believe that
it will), keep on coming to church and go ahead and climb your ladder and have
fun “staining the world” with God’s grace and love.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace (ggap),
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
No comments:
Post a Comment