There’s an old story told of two river paddle boats and an encounter that left a lasting mark. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.
One boat began falling behind as there was not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but they burned their cargo.
God has entrusted cargo to us as well, children, spouses, friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when our ego and personal motivation takes priority over people, people often suffer. How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot, achieve our own personal satisfaction, or remain comfortable in complacency? How many people never reach the destination because of the distracted captain of self?
This Sunday we will begin a short four week series on the purpose of family and relationships, we are going to take a look at God’s vision and balance that against our own lifestyle. Are we accomplishing what it is that God has entrusted us to do?
