This is the Kids' Time message from our service last Sunday. I got so much out of it that I asked for a copy to share it with you!
Once upon a time, two lumberjacks strode into the forest with their axes hefted upon their shoulders. They were having a contest and would at long last determine who was best.
The first lumberjack was big and young and strong, but inexperienced. The second was experienced but not big, not young, and not strong. The contest began and, man, did the chips fly!
The young lumberjack furiously swung his axe - chop, chop, chop, chop! The old lumberjack was slow and steady. Chop.... chop.... chop...
One hour passed. The old lumberjack looked at his watch, stopped swinging and took a break in the shed. The young lumberjack laughed and pumped his fist in the air. "I have him now!" he thought. "I'm tired, but I can't stop. I must keep going! Chop, chop, chop, chop. He mopped his brow, did the Hokey Pokey, spit on his hands, and kept on swinging. The old lumberjack emerged from the shed and resumed at his steady pace. Chop.... chop.... chop...
Two hours passed and the same thing happened. The old lumberjack stopped and rested in the shed. The young lumberjack snickered and kept working.
This went on all day until the final whistle blew. In the end the old lumberjack had chopped twice as much wood as his opponent despite taking breaks every hour. The young man stretched out his hand to congratulate him.
The young lumberjack asked the older man, "How did you do it? What's your secret? What did you do in the shed? Did you nap? Did you have a protein bar? I know, I know - it was Gatorade, wasn't it?!"
The old man smiled, put his hand on the young man's shoulder and said, "No, son. While you kept working, I was sharpening my axe." The end.
That story reminded me of a verse from Psalms 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God." How often do we act like the young lumberjack? We struggle and strain and think we can do it all on our own. We wake up in the morning and get pulled in five different directions and try to solve five different problems at once. We can't spend still time, quiet time in prayer or studying the Bible. We have things to get done!
But when we slow down and be still and focus like the old lumberjack, when we sharpen our spirits through prayer and reading the Bible, when we take our dull and dirty implements to Jesus in quiet patient study, He improves us. His Word sharpens us and He polishes us, and that's how we can stride into the forest ready to swing for the Lord.
This is a good time of year to try that. Let's forget yesterday. Let's not worry about this afternoon. Let's still our hearts and minds before Jesus and let Him sharpen us.
.JPG)
