This weekend I have been black-topping my driveway. Yesterday I edged the
grass around it and swept the entire surface before wetting it down to get
all the dust off. Then I got some crack sealer and went around filling in
all the little “alligator” cracks that permeated the surface of my driveway.
Today I will apply a new blacktop. I can’t wait to see how all those
imperfections get covered over with a new surface. With a sweep of an
applicator, the old will go away and the new will come about. No longer will
I be able to see those old cracks that have come over much time and from
extended wear. They are signs of time passed, and the problems that come
from use and neglect. The interesting thing is that even though in a few
hours my driveway will look new, I know that just under the surface that
older and cracked surface still exists. I also know from the general
condition of the driveway that this is the last time that we will get away
with just putting a new coat over an old surface. What is needed is a brand
new surface right down to the base and that will be expensive and beyond my
capabilities to do. Bottom line is that covering up the imperfections can
only last so long…………….
For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while you may be
sitting there and thinking, “I know where he is going with this. He is
probably going to use his work on the driveway to illustrate some spiritual
truth about how God makes all things new or how only God can really get at
the problems that we have below the surface. Maybe he’ll write about the
applicator…being…the work of The Holy Spirit or God’s sanctifying process at
work in us. Perhaps the driveway itself will become a metaphor for the
“road” we travel in life that gets cracks along the way and creates hazards
for us.”
Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope and nope. Not today. I called this blog, “Look for
the surprise” and here it is. This blog is about being joyful and having
fun. Sometimes we as Christians are so serious. Every conversation we have
with one another goes deep and we end up talking about The Lord in almost
every instance. We have become experts at turning almost anything into an
metaphor. Now please hear me (before I get myself in trouble….). It is
wonderful that we love to consider the deep things of The Lord and to talk
with one another about them. It is important to use things like metaphors to
illustrate biblical truths. It is great that we build each other up with
conversations about how God is working in our lives. All of this is true.
However, what is also true is that God also wants us to just have fun and
enjoy life and the pleasures He has blessed us with. When non-believes
consider us, they shouldn’t walk away saying, “If they have joy in The Lord
like they say they do, they should notify their face.” They also shouldn’t
walk away saying, “Man, every conversation they have is about God or going
to church or how they are serving God. I don’t even know how to relate to
that.” No, they should know that we are believers in Jesus Christ and that
we have good wholesome fun and that we can relate to them on a number of
levels that don’t tie back to some truths in the bible. Joy is a fruit of
The Spirit but I believe some Christians have a sign hanging around their
necks saying, “The orchard has no joy today.”
Beloved, our joy should indeed be in The Lord but he has given us many ways
to enjoy His creation and sometimes I think we as believers need to slow
down and rejoice in life and the fun things we can do. I was recently on
vacation and I spent almost two weeks reading, playing chess, walking
outdoors, running, biking, going to Longwood Gardens, watching movies and
television, enjoying my family and playing games. That was it! We needed a
time of renewal and refreshment so we cleared our calendar and “unplugged”
as much as possible and took our time with things. My devotions were longer
and leisurely a great blessing. My time with my family was a relaxed and
happy one. It was a lot of fun.
So this weekend make sure you have some fun. Laugh. Rest. Marvel and
something beautiful. Partake of your hobbies. Take off your “serious
thinking cap” and just enjoy yourself. God is will pleased when we rest and
He wants us to be the most joyful people the world encounters so get to it
and enjoy life. It is a blessing. Enjoying ourselves keeps away a lot of the
cracks that can develop in us! (I had to use at least one metaphor! 😊)
For Him,
Rob