Camp Stories 3
"I am come that they might have life, and that they might
have it more abundantly." - John 10:10
The search was on!
We were ready to take my mom and dad back to their vehicle
and begin our trek back home from our much- enjoyed camping
trip.
Only we couldn't find the keys.
That's right, the keys. You know, the things that you insert
into the ignition in order to get the motorhome to run.
The keys.
And let me tell you, we searched EVERYWHERE.
All through the motorhome itself. In every cubbie hole,
under the beds, in the cabinets, under the seats, in boxes,
in bags, in our clothes' pockets, even sifted through the
trash everywhere.
Then, we searched the ground around our camper. We kicked
through pile after pile of leaves, in the barbecue pit where
we had cooked the evening before, under the motorhome. we
even checked on TOP of the motorhome, thinking I might have
dropped them from my pocket when I was working on the
awning.
Still, we couldn't find them.
We went to the bathrooms, the showers, literally everywhere
we could think to look.
And then, my mom asked Jacob, our three-year-old, to pray.
His prayer was simple: "Help us find the keys."
It was just a few minutes later when something both
praiseworthy and humorous happened.
My wife suddenly had a revelation. She went to the picnic
table and took off the red-checkered tablecloth that was
clamped firmly onto it, and she let out a yell of joy.
."I found them!"
The praiseworthy part is this: God responded to a little
boy's prayer for help. It was innocent. It was sincere. And
it was answered.
The humorous part is this: The night before we had sat at
the picnic table and ate a meal of hamburgers and chili that
I had cooked on the open fire. My wife had noticed a "clump"
in the tablecloth and asked me what it was. I replied, "I
think it's a bunch of sticks from the firewood."
That clump was the keys, as it turned out.
Ooops.
What we had been looking for was right there within reach. I
had just misidentified them. And so, they remained hidden
away under the tablecloth. Out of view. With us still
looking in vain.
Thank God for answered prayer!
You know, all of this reminds me of both saved and unsaved
people -- how we frantically looked for things in life that
are right there in front of us.
We look for the keys to peace and the keys to joy. We sort
through trash and we sift through the leaves and cubbie
holes and pits of life trying to find the answers.
We scramble around for the keys to happiness and success,
relationships and acceptance. We look high and low for
guidance and meaning and purpose and blessings.
When what we really need to do is stop looking, and start
praying.
We need to come to God with childlike faith and innocence
and sincerity and tell Him what He already knows.
"I don't know where to look . please help me find the keys."
Christian, what are you searching for today? Is it meaning
and purpose for you life? Is it a healthy relationship? Is
it happiness or peace, or freedom from worry and temptation?
You're only a prayer away from discovering what lies beneath
the tablecloth. God has something special planned for your
life.
Why not ask HIM where to look?
Jimmy D. Brown
comments@Living4Jesus.com