Once in a while, a story floats by that impacts your life forevermore. The following has been one such for me. As best I remember ...
Somewhere in Texas there's a church much like most every other church. Every so often, it's members get all excited and bothered about some burning issue or another. Pretty soon they're having little meetings and talking and dividing and gossiping and praying for each other to accept "the Truth" about this or that issue. Why, if He hadn't PROMISED to hold off 'til His return, 'twould be enough to drive our Savior to drink!
Except for this one guy. Hadn't really been a Christian ALL that long. It was odd. He WAS fully engaged in the church, but seemed somehow untouched by the periodic brouhahas. He just smiled, offered hugs, and sailed serenely along. It was just a little maddening, 'cause no-one could quite pin him down as to where he, well, STOOD on these things. He just smiled, offered a hug, and sailed serenely along. Never really bothered by ANY of it. Weird!
Folks noticed. Finally THAT became a topic of discussion, and those who felt it their duty to get to the bottom of things formed a delegation, accosted him after Prayer Meeting and demanded, um, I mean REQUESTED, an explanation.
Durn it if he didn't smile and offer hugs all around! But at least he DID respond! "Well," he said, "There IS a bit of a story ..."
"You see, before I became a Christian, I was a gambler, and REALLY into dog racing. In fact, I bred and trained dogs for the track. These dogs were not trained to be relaxed and take life easy. They lived their lives in training to race. This required a disciplined approach to life. Diet, exercise, rest, water. all had to be monitored and controlled carefully if the dog was to succeed.
"Of course, the dogs were still dogs, and needed some leisure as well to be just dogs. So I'd often take them out walking along the streets. They really loved that and did their doggy thing, sniffing and marking everything in sight.
"But some of their favorite distractions just plain weren't GOOD for them. What they really wanted to do was go tear apart that greasy McDonald's bag and snarf down the half-eaten cheeseburger and fries they sensed might be inside. But although they would have found that a really fun and satisfying part of our walk, it would have totally messed 'em up.
"Couldn't let them do it. So I had a special command. When I saw that their attention was being drawn towards an inappropriate distraction, I'd give the command, 'Eyes on me. Eyes on me. Eyes on me.', and together we'd just walk right on past it without harm.
"Well, friends, now I'm a Christian. I don't train the dogs any longer. Instead, I'm being trained by Jesus to run my own race. And every time I hear about one of these things and start to get interested, I seem to hear Jesus saying, "Jim! Eyes on Me! Eyes on Me! Eyes on Me!" So I keep my eyes on Him, and together we just walk on by."
--- The End --- or is it just your beginning?
"O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." 2 Chron 20:12
Just like a small child with trustiong eyes on daddy. "We don't know what to do. But our eyes are on You, Daddy! We know, just KNOW, that You are going to either do something Yourself, or perhaps tell us what to do. But You're gonna FIX it! 'Cause You're our DADDY!"
And if we falter, His voice reminds us, calling once again, "Eyes on Me. eyes on Me. Eyes on Me!"
Somewhere in Texas there's a church much like most every other church. Every so often, it's members get all excited and bothered about some burning issue or another. Pretty soon they're having little meetings and talking and dividing and gossiping and praying for each other to accept "the Truth" about this or that issue. Why, if He hadn't PROMISED to hold off 'til His return, 'twould be enough to drive our Savior to drink!
Except for this one guy. Hadn't really been a Christian ALL that long. It was odd. He WAS fully engaged in the church, but seemed somehow untouched by the periodic brouhahas. He just smiled, offered hugs, and sailed serenely along. It was just a little maddening, 'cause no-one could quite pin him down as to where he, well, STOOD on these things. He just smiled, offered a hug, and sailed serenely along. Never really bothered by ANY of it. Weird!
Folks noticed. Finally THAT became a topic of discussion, and those who felt it their duty to get to the bottom of things formed a delegation, accosted him after Prayer Meeting and demanded, um, I mean REQUESTED, an explanation.
Durn it if he didn't smile and offer hugs all around! But at least he DID respond! "Well," he said, "There IS a bit of a story ..."
"You see, before I became a Christian, I was a gambler, and REALLY into dog racing. In fact, I bred and trained dogs for the track. These dogs were not trained to be relaxed and take life easy. They lived their lives in training to race. This required a disciplined approach to life. Diet, exercise, rest, water. all had to be monitored and controlled carefully if the dog was to succeed.
"Of course, the dogs were still dogs, and needed some leisure as well to be just dogs. So I'd often take them out walking along the streets. They really loved that and did their doggy thing, sniffing and marking everything in sight.
"But some of their favorite distractions just plain weren't GOOD for them. What they really wanted to do was go tear apart that greasy McDonald's bag and snarf down the half-eaten cheeseburger and fries they sensed might be inside. But although they would have found that a really fun and satisfying part of our walk, it would have totally messed 'em up.
"Couldn't let them do it. So I had a special command. When I saw that their attention was being drawn towards an inappropriate distraction, I'd give the command, 'Eyes on me. Eyes on me. Eyes on me.', and together we'd just walk right on past it without harm.
"Well, friends, now I'm a Christian. I don't train the dogs any longer. Instead, I'm being trained by Jesus to run my own race. And every time I hear about one of these things and start to get interested, I seem to hear Jesus saying, "Jim! Eyes on Me! Eyes on Me! Eyes on Me!" So I keep my eyes on Him, and together we just walk on by."
--- The End --- or is it just your beginning?
"O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." 2 Chron 20:12
Just like a small child with trustiong eyes on daddy. "We don't know what to do. But our eyes are on You, Daddy! We know, just KNOW, that You are going to either do something Yourself, or perhaps tell us what to do. But You're gonna FIX it! 'Cause You're our DADDY!"
And if we falter, His voice reminds us, calling once again, "Eyes on Me. eyes on Me. Eyes on Me!"
