Just a really good story about family!

[Revgill87123]

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail's pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.

God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often suffer. How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain?

 

[CecilW]

Thanks, Gill. Helpful story.

And may I ever so respectfully say, "Ouch!"?

 

[Revgill87123]

I guess you may. I am assuming you were saying the ouch from the other post. That was from 10years ago, but still don't want to take a chance ya know?

 

[CecilW]

Hunh? The ouch was from the lesson of burning the cargo.

My first family grew up with me working so many hours to "provide" that I was rarely physically present, and even more rarely emotionally available. Too busy dealing with my own emotional issues and had started my family long before they were resolved. I now have to deal with the fallout of that absence in their lives, along with the heartache of missing my first wife. The story strongly touched a chord on my heart-strings.

 

[Shimon]

How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain?

And how much heartache do we cause for ourselve3s and others when we follow our own course instead of letting Him steer? Jesus, Please take the wheel of my life.

Dave