Putting In and Getting Out

    I went away for a little holiday last weekend and came home a raft of bad news, including the death of a colleague, a sharp reminder of my mortality.  
     We all like to dream of the things we'll do when . . . 

we finish school...

get a job ...

quit our job ...

have (grand)children...

move to a new city...

The list is different for each one of us, but the idea that good things will happen only in the future can rob us of the joy of throwing ourselves into life every day.

   Here's a children's story from my favourite anonymous source that says it better than I can. 

Putting In and Getting Out

True story: preacher went to a little country church to take the service. There was a collection box which he thought was for the poor so he dropped in a $1.

After the service an elder said to him: “We are poor people and are unable to pay you. We have a box and anyone helped by the service and feeling grateful may put something in. We give it to the preacher for travelling expenses and we are delighted to tell you we found $1 in it today. Please accept it with our thanks.”

The preacher told his family when he got home and his son said “Well Dad if you had put more in you would have got more out!”

Jesus said: Give and it shall be given to you again.

Games are a lot of fun but they ask a lot too. [You]must train, practise. Must deny yourself to learn to play as a team. Must put your whole self in. If you only play at it all you will get is sore muscles and short windedness.

Studies: if you don’t work hard you will never win scholarships or prizes. Studies may seem an awful bore but if you really put yourself into them you will be amazed how exciting they can become.

Church and being a Christian: some people are slack in attending church or give it up altogether. “I get nothing out of it” they say. If you have no thought of what worship is, no prayer beforehand, no expectation church will be a real bore.

“Law of diminishing returns” even in Christian life. People who came to church and communion regularly - but no longer. They miss something and wonder why. They put in less and less and so they get less and less out of it. But if we give of ourselves to Christ and really work for Him we will be amazed at how wonderful life becomes for us.

Give yourself to Christ and He will give Himself to you.