Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things

This painting is called “Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things” by Mark Lawrence. Mark’s obviously an artist. He has done a series of paintings inspired by OC and his devotional My Utmost for His Highest. It’s great to do creative things which inspire. I, on the other hand have spent the last three hours making fine adjustments to the Amana Christian Fellowship home page and a couple of more hours are needed. I do this in the hours of early morning with only the glow of the laptop screen lighting the room. Not very glamorous…it’s drudgery. 

That places me squarely “Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things.”   “It takes Almighty grace to take the next step when there is no vision and no spectator – the next step in devotion, the next step in your study, in your reading, in your kitchen; the next step in your duty, when there is no vision from God, no enthusiasm and no spectator. It takes far more of the grace of God, far more conscious drawing upon God to take that step, than it does to preach the Gospel.”
 

I have had the privilege of preaching the gospel on occasion and OC is so right.  But the drudgery of fine tuning placement on a web page is far less onerous than some of the drudgery others face on a daily basis. I am also currently working on replacing steps at our home. The vision of what the final work will look likes keeps me going through the drudgery of tearing our rotten wood and resetting sand covered bricks which support the steps.
 

I guess that’s the key: don’t lose the vision. ” We flag when there is no vision, no uplift, but just the common round, the trivial task. [T]he only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the Risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to damp you.”

My wife is a painter and I know that there are hours of drudgery before the work is completed. I am sure Mark Lawrence has spent hours needing to focus on the prize to get to a completed work. 

Whatever our tasks today: painting, web design or step construction, let’s keep taking the next step with eyes to the Lord and as always we will
Be blessed.

Nick