“1,000 CRANES & A DINOSAUR” – August 22

““…Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”  1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Our little county fair has come and gone.  It is our signal that the end of summer lurks around the corner.  Our fair has retained its small country feel, being comprised of barns filled with 4-H and FFA animals, exhibits from names that I recognize of art, crafts, food, produce, businesses, a rodeo with local cowboys, and of course lots of fair food.

This quaint nature has a tenuous feeling as if it is in danger of being swept into the annals of history.  A year ago, I had walked through the Arts and Craft building to peruse the exhibits and was disappointed in the meager showing.  “More people should be entering exhibits”, was my thought.  My realization was that I had never entered anything in the fair.

Therefore, I decided that I would make something to enter.  This was daunting for someone who has never considered himself artistic or crafty.  As a result, I did not tell anyone what I had in mind.  I felt that it was likely that I would fail so I did not want any expectations.  My goal was simply to make something interesting that would occupy some space, without being an embarrassment.

My entry in the fair was “1,000 Cranes and a Dinosaur”.  I folded origami cranes during meetings and telephone calls for months.  My daughter and I suspended them with fishing line from a light fixture grate for three evenings prior to the fair.  For added enjoyment, I hid one origami dinosaur, same color and size as the cranes, amidst the flock.

My hope was for a blue ribbon.  Imagine my surprise, when I actually won “Best in Show”?

The response to my little foray into the arts and craft world has been overwhelmingly positive.  However, there have been some interesting responses.  A few people questioned why I  would spend so much time folding cranes as if I had wasted my efforts.  Others speculated that I must have been really been bored.  I was even told that it was weird.

Often, the reasons for why we do what we do will never get told.  I folded all the cranes from paper that had been thrown in my office’s recycle bin.  As I folded those cranes, I was reminded how Christ saves us from destruction and transforms us into a new creation.  I suspended the cranes to appear as if they were flying up, which reminded me of our progressive sanctification.  The dinosaur was a reminder to me of the Spirit of God, who is with us on our journey, sometimes hard to find, and some think is a myth or a creation from a bygone era.

Those are some of the thoughts that I had in my little creation that the majority of those who saw it will never know.  What is important is that I know the reasons why I did what I did.

We are encouraged to train ourselves for godliness.  Godliness will be exhibited to others.  The response to our godliness will not be understood by everyone.  Often, you will never get the opportunity to explain why you do what you do or why you don’t do other things.  The reaction of some will be positive but there probably will be some that are negative without understanding your intentions.

The important aspect for all of us is that we understand why we are training ourselves in godliness.  We are training ourselves in godliness for the value of the promise it holds in this present life and also for the life to come.

Let’s be intentional about our spiritual training with the purpose of winning “Best in Show” from the only judge who matters, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, you know how easily I am distracted from my training.  You know how I often forget why I am doing what I am doing.  You know how often I value other people’s opinion too much.  Forgive me for losing sight of my purpose and not being intentional in my life.  Lord, I need your help in my spiritual training.  I know the value that you give through godliness.  I desire all that you have promised.  I want my faith to be on display for your glory.   I pray this in the precious name of your Son,  Jesus Christ.   Amen.