Both my wife and I enjoy visiting old bookstores, searching for old and outdated books. Recently, randomly leafing through a used book, I came across an outline that I believe characterizes my ministry these fifty years. You who are familiar with my preaching and writings are aware that both are highly practical. I like to put everyday clothes on naked truths, and shoe leather on doctrine. You know; something you can comfortly walk in on a daily basis.
Let me give you the skeleton of this outline, and then I’ll try to put a little meat on it. It went like this: “Start where you are; use what you have; and do what you can.” As to the first, the Chinese proverb says, “A thousand mile journey is started with one step.” Secondly, if you don’t have a hammer to drive in a nail, use your shoe heel. And thirdly, if you can’t do great things in a great way, do little things in a great way.
With Christ’s enablement, ordinary people can do extraordinary things. No matter the odds or opposition, they can overcome. But we need to begin in the sacred now! Wherever here is, that’s where we need to start. As someone has said, “We live our lives like we have another one in the bank.” The best time to plant a fruit tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
In closing let me give you two more thoughts from the little book that blessed me. “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” And this one could be my all-time favorite: “No one can go back and make a brand-new start, but anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending.” Amen and Amen!
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