THE OLD BARN

 

"Hey, barn. How ya doing?"

"I have seen better days. In the beginning I was just trees around the pasture, but the lumber from those trees became a barn."

"I remember the day the neighbors came to help.  Slowly, one board at a time, I began to take shape.  The men nailed and hammered me into a barn as the women prepared more food than the hungry men could eat.  The children played, retrieved dropped tools and finally gave into taking a nap."

"Yes, I began as a tree and became a place where cattle found shade.  A place for calves to be born.  I was used to store feed and farming equipment.  The farm children came here to hide when they were in trouble.  I witnessed many first kisses.  Noontime sandwiches were eaten as my farmer waited for the rain to pass."

"I was important and needed."

"But what happened?  Hands carefully built me and took care of me.  Then one day my usefulness changed.  The cattle were sold.  The farmer and his wife got old and could no longer farm.  The children had long ago moved to town."

"And here I sit.  Of no value.  Oh, an occasional tourist will take my picture, but I can no longer protect against the wind.  No one fills me with laughter or first kisses anymore.  No one.  No one......."

"I am so sorry. Do you have any words of wisdom? Any advice for me?"

"Advice?  Simple.  Take care of the things that are important or they will become like me:  useless."

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As I thought about the barn's advice, I wondered if that is how I treat my faith. Do I take care of it? Do I use it daily? Do I fill my faith with laughter and joy? Do I use my faith to its full value? Do I repair my faith, by going to the Word of God, when life beats on me? Or am I allowing my faith to become useless?

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What about you? Do you have a strong faith, a useful faith? Is your faith strong enough to withstand trials and give you shelter? Or have you allowed your faith to fall apart like this barn?

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How do we keep our faith as important today as it was when we first believed?

WE ALLOW GOD TO KEEP US STRONG.

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Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.