Teachable Moments

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV).

Jackson and his Dad came over the other day to help get Christmas decorations down from the attic. Now you may not think that would be a big deal, but Wanda has more Christmas stuff than Walmart. One day, if you hear that we died after our ceiling collapsed, you will know that we had one ornament too many that broke the reindeer’s back.

Anyway, we had some limbs in the backyard that we needed to move, so I went up to the building to get the mower and the trailer to haul them away. Jackson wanted to drive. He stood up in front of me and steered away. He loved it. After we hauled the limbs off, I told him we had to put the tractor back into the storage building. I told him to drive the mower up the ramps and into the building.

“No, Papa! I can’t do that!” he chided.

“Listen to me, buddy. Can’t never could do anything. When Jesus came into your heart, you can do whatever He wants you to do. He will do it for you. All you have to do is ask Him. He will show you what to do and give you strength and wisdom to do it. You understand?” I preached to him.

Hesitantly, he agreed to try. “Okay, Papa. Let’s do it.”

I lined up the front wheels with the two planks we used for ramps, and off we went. “Just keep both tires on the ramp and guide her on in, buddy.”

He diligently kept looking from side to side careful to make sure both tires were on the ramp. Slowly, the mower inched up the ramp. First the front wheels, then the back. With one last bump over the threshold, she snuggled into her place. Jackson raised both arms high to the sky and yelled, “I DID IT! I DID IT!”

“Yes, you did, buddy. I’m so proud of you. Jesus is, too. I told you Jesus would do it for you if you asked Him.”

I am teaching Jackson at eight years old what many eighty-year-olds never learn. And that is, we can do anything Jesus asks us to do, but we can do nothing without Him. That is why we fear doing difficult things. We try to do it without Him. We can’t. We never will.

When you asked Jesus to be your life, He eliminated one word from your vocabulary forever. That word is “can’t.” You CAN do ALL things through Christ who not only gives us strength, He IS our strength. How many things? Just a few? A good many? No, ALL THINGS!

The next time Jesus wants you to do something and doubt arises in your mind, remember: “Can’t never could do nothing!” (double negative mine).

Maybe you just need a good kick in your “can’ts” to get you started.

Blessings,

Kenny