Words to Grow On

January 30, 2006

HOW CAN OUR LIVES COUNT?

By

Margaret K. Michaels

“For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a man traveling

Into a far country, who called his own servants, and

Delivered unto them his goods.”  Matt. 25:14 KJV

The Scripture goes on to tell us that he gave one servant five talents; to another he gave two talents, and to another he gave one talent.  The one who had five doubled his talents; the one who had two doubled his talents, but the servant who had one talent dug a whole and hid it.  When the Master returned for accountability said to the first two servants, “Well done” but the servant who had one talent heard his rebuke in the words “thou wicked and slothful servant.”

The lesson for our lives today is that we are equally responsible for the gifts God has given to each of us.  Life is not fair!  We were not all created equal.  We cannot always have an alibi for not contributing to the lives of other people, to our church, and to ourselves.  Lives filled with nothing amount to nothing.

Let’s listen to some of the servants excuses.  “I was afraid.”  This one statement will lock the doors of our mind and will inevitably bring defeat.  Self Fear is Self defeat.  Is it sinfulness that cripples us.  Only the Lord can take the sin out of our lives and make us new people in Him.    Our lives begin to count when we serve Him.  He gives us a purpose bigger than ourselves.

It was the year 1942 in Albertville, California.  People were hysterical over the Japanese involvement in World War 11.  This led to the relocation of 110,000 Japanese Americans to live in internment camps.  In one of these camps Carole Doi, a third generation Japanese American was born.  Despite this experience Carole was glad to be an American.  Years later she married a man who had also spent time in the camps.  When she delivered her baby daughter she noticed that the babies feet turned inward.  The toes were facing each other.  Carole was determined to do whatever it took to help her daughter walk normally.  For four years Carole made sure that her daughter wore corrective shoes.  By age six her daughter was walking normally.  Carole was not satisfied she wanted her little girls legs to be stronger so she asked and her daughter chose skating to strengthen her legs.  Before long she was up at 4:00 a.m. so excited about skating.   Carole decided to let her take lessons.  For fifteen years Kristi worked on her skating.  Young Kristi Yamaguchi represented our country in the Olympics.  As the flag was hoisted during the 1992 ceremony Carole and Jim watched as Kristi received the Gold Medal.  They were so proud to be Americans.  They had no bitterness or anger over the way they were treated.  They made their lives count.

William Himes has made this message clear in a song he has written. 

All that I am, all I can be, all that I have, all that is me,

Accept and use, Lord.  As you would choose Lord, right now today.

 Take every passion, every skill, Take all my dreams and bend them to your  will. 

My all I give, Lord, for you I’ll live Lord, come what may.