Pastor David Cameron has written this week’s letter. We hope you are blessed by his thoughts this week.
There is an old bit of verse that begins, “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost…” The progression continues until it ends: “…the Kingdom was lost, and ALL for the want of a nail.”
I must confess that I used to find this little story stressful and unsettling. I read it as an ominous warning that any small detail I missed could result in disaster and that anything but perfection was unacceptable.
That interpretation makes for an unhealthy amount of pressure placed on yourself, and it’s impossible to attain.
And yet, the progression makes sense. It’s easy in retrospect to see how seemingly small errors compound.
There is another way to understand this story. It’s much healthier stress-wise and it fits in with what Pastor Bob preached on Sunday.
We matter. The lives we live, the words we say, the jobs we do, the kindness, love, and concern we show others, all have greater value than we realize. God does mighty things that begin with everyday faithfulness which goes mostly unobserved.
As Pastor Bob reminded us Sunday, we are God’s handiwork and there are good works waiting just for us to do. They are shaped perfectly to fit us: our hands, our talents, our words, our personalities. We may not even notice them as they are happening, but in God’s perfect timing they help shape the Kingdom of God.
As we go about our everyday days, may we remember that our living faithfully matters. Not in a “perfection or else” way, but in realizing that we are a vital part of something greater than ourselves, and so we do our best in love and appreciation for our father who provides us a place in His family and works alongside us. May none of our nails go wanting.
With love and blessings,
Pastor David
David, Thank you for your words of encouragement to us in your article. It is well done. It reminds me that we have an audience of One, the God who made us. We are to live faithfully, allowing our lives to glorify Him. I appreciate your creative insights and life lessons that you share through your articles! Blessings, Bob