My kids had a lemonade stand over the summer and wanted to use the money they received (from very generous neighbors) to buy a basketball hoop.
I searched high and low for a good deal and found a previously owned hoop that wouldn’t exceed their budget. My husband was happy to go and retrieve it, hoisting it in the back of his truck.
When he got home, we had a few challenges. First, we had to get this long, and quite large basketball hoop out of the truck. Second, we needed to figure out how to get the very, very heavy base out without dropping it. Third, we needed to set the pole upright on that very, very heavy base and secure it.
My husband thought through a plan and step by step, we were able to carefully get the pole, attached backboard and basket (all in one piece) out of the truck and onto the grass. Then he grabbed a dolly from the garage and placed it like a ramp off the tailgate of the truck. Setting some heavy objects at the bottom of the dolly to hold it in place, we worked together to pull the gravel-filled base from the truck bed onto the dolly.
Once the base was in place on our driveway, we (meaning my husband) 😉 had to lift the pole and position it into the base. While he held it in place, I had to insert and properly line up the bolts. This sounds significantly easier than it actually was. Let’s just say we had to try it from a different direction after our first attempts failed.
Finally, we got everything in place and secured. Phew!
I said to my husband, “I am amazed at what you can do. I never could have done that.” He replied, “You just did.” I responded, “Only with your direction and strength.”
And then it hit me. Isn’t that how it is with God? He gives us a really big, or difficult task and we think, “no, I can’t do that.” Remember Moses?
But with God’s direction and strength, can’t we do anything He wants us to do? I believe we can.
When God asks us to do something, let’s not focus on the greatness of the task, but rather on the greatness of our God.
Now, every time we shoot hoops on the driveway, I have a visual reminder of how God works in us using His direction and strength. Next time you see a basketball hoop, maybe God will bring that to mind.
Let us go be radiant this week.
Go Be Radiant 