by Alec Niemi
One morning quite a few years ago, when going for a walk, I happened to notice a boy pulling a wagon. In the wagon was a smaller boy and a bunch of newspapers. As they went along they would stop in front of each house and the bigger boy would tell the smaller boy to take a paper up to the steps of the house. At times the younger boy would want to just run to the next house but was told to get back into the wagon. Sometimes the little one would try to pull the wagon but it was too heavy and the bigger kid would load up the little one and proceed. At each house the process was repeated. When it came time to cross the street the younger boy was instructed to stay seated in the wagon while the older brother carefully looked both ways and then proceeded across the street…
It was no major event and I soon forgot all about it until the other day when it came back to mind. I realized that we can be like the little boy in the wagon and God is the one pulling it. We have to let go and let God. We need to understand that we too need to be obedient when we are told to, “get in the wagon.”
My name is a derivative of Alexander meaning, “Helper of Mankind.“ Helpers want to get out of the wagon and do it all. But sometimes we need to get “in” the wagon rather than be “on” the wagon. When we are ‘in‘ the wagon we are the helpers. When we are ‘on‘ the wagon we are on our own agenda. When we are ‘in‘ the wagon He is the one pulling. When we are ‘on‘ the wagon we are the ones trying to pull.
My prayer for us this week
“Father God, just as Solomon was, we too are like little children and do not know how to carry out our duties…. give your servants discerning hearts… to distinguish between right and wrong. In Jesus Name, amen.” 1Kings 3:7-9
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2012/08/06/an_helper-of-mankind/
