Sidetracked
"We’re going to talk about stewardship today," Jeffrey’s Sunday school teacher announced. "A steward is someone who helps take care of things for someone else. God asks us to be good stewards for Him, so we’re going to do a class project to give you one way to do that." Mr. Martin held up a paper. "I’ll pass around this list of older people from church that need some help with their houses or gardens."
Jeffrey looked over the list of names. "I could help Mrs. Johnson," he offered. "She lives near me."
The sweet old lady was pleased to have Jeffrey’s help. She asked him to water her garden because she couldn’t do it anymore. "Sure. You can count on me," Jeffrey told her. "I’ll do it every week." And for a few weeks, he faithfully kept his promise, but then he began to forget. There were other things to do.
"Hey, Dad, come see what I can make my train do," said Jeffrey when his father arrived home one afternoon. He placed two engines on the track several feet apart and pushed some buttons. The engines raced around the track. Then Jeffrey flipped a switch, and one engine ran onto a side track and stopped while the other one continued down the main track. "Did you see that, Dad? I sidetracked the one and kept the other one going," explained Jeffrey.
Dad nodded. "I see that," he said. He looked thoughtfully at the sidetracked engine. "It occurs to me that some Christians get sidetracked like that engine. In fact, I wonder if you’re like that right now, Jeffrey."
Jeffrey looked up. "Me? How’s that?" he asked.
"Well, you said you’d help Mrs. Johnson every week," replied Dad, "but I think you’ve been forgetting to do it lately. Or maybe you’ve been too interested in other things. In any case, I think you got sidetracked." He paused a moment before adding, "I drove past Mrs. Johnson’s house today, and I noticed that the plants in her garden look pretty wilted."
"Uh-oh! I did forget!" exclaimed Jeffrey. He looked at the two engines. "If I hurry, I can still get those plants watered before dark," he said as he headed for the door. "I want to be like the engine that kept going."
HOW ABOUT YOU? Have you begun to serve the Lord - by tithing, helping a needy person, or cheerfully working at home? Have you kept at it? Or have other things taken too much of your attention? Starting out to do right is great, but keeping at it is much better. Don’t be sidetracked by the "busyness" of life. Faithfully do what you can to serve the Lord each day.
(from: cbhministries.org)
