Are you enjoying the shade?
The advantages that you enjoy right now…today…are you enjoying those?
You do realize that most of those advantages you are not responsible for, right? Those advantages were purchased at a great price by those who have gone before you. You owe a huge debt for the “shade” you enjoy today.
We all do.
All of us…every one of us…stand on the shoulders of giants who have gone before. We enjoy freedoms, knowledge, advantage, money, status and much more, not because of who we are or our own abilities, but because of folks in our past who have planted seeds, cleared the way, and made things possible for us.
It’s for this reason that we must walk softly and live humbly. We are blessed to enjoy the shade from trees we did not plant.
The Bible says it like this.
I remember years ago enjoying a time at camp. I was at an evening event we called “Open Meeting.” We did this every Wednesday night during camp. It was a time for parents and kids who had come to camp previously to come up and enjoy an evening together. Shepherd’s Fold was packed with folks enjoying themselves and enjoying the evening and the community of being together.
It was in that moment that I realized that others had gone before; breaking up hard ground and planting seeds and nurturing small plants so I could enjoy that moment of “fruit.” It was an awesome and eye-opening experience for me.
We are all like that.
Right this moment you are enjoying an advantage because of someone else’s sacrifice and hard work.
Who do you need to write or call today to thank?
Is there someone you’d be bold enough to thank in the “Reply” box below?
Mike, I’m thankful for my dad, pastors Robert Bayles and Joe Stith who invested time in me. Of course, my dad still provides ‘shade’ for me today. It also draws me back to Shepherds Fold and the times my kids spent there and those who gave of themselves to encourage a few Harrison’s. Thanks to you, your family, and many others.
On one other note, I think of Scott Hennigan and his bride Marce(sp?), I know y’all spent alot of time together. I’m sure they would speak kindly of you and your family. Anyway, going back 10-12 years I played tennis quite a few times with Scott’s brother Doug, i would mention Scott to Doug and he wouldn’t say much. Always intense and pretty serious. In the last few months I have seen Doug at a mens gathering we have on Thursday nights, Doug shared with me of God moving in his life and his desire to seek the Father. Where the ‘shade’ was amidst all the divine appointments I don’t know but God does.
Steve,
Great stuff. Yeah…we are all surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. They’ve passed the baton and now they are either watching us run or they are in a race of their own. My mom and dad, my pastors and other spiritual elders that have spoken into my life, some great Christian camp directors who continue to encourage and set a great example. The list goes on and the more I think about it the more thankful I become.
It’s strange…we don’t often think about the impact we might have made on others. But by God’s grace and mercy…we have been and still are giants for others. And I’m grateful for that too. Ultimately, that’s what makes life worth living.
Blessings!
M.