THE WISDOM OF SCUFFY
--
Years ago, I had a favorite book,
which incidentally was a book we read often to our own kids. In the short children's story,
Scuffy the Tugboat, by Gertrude Crampton,
Scuffy longs to leave the confines of his family's bathtub if only to realize the greater dream of being free; for as he said, "I was made for better things." As the book nears its conclusion, and amidst all the uncertainty and chaos associated with sailing out to open sea in rough waters, he is rescued by the father of the little boy whose greaterst delight was simply playing with Scuffy in his bathtub.
Now why do I bring this up, especially to so many who may never have enjoyed the story with your own kids? Because Scuffy reminds us that God's desire for the best in our lives can sometimes be lost when we fail to realize that even with the sin that invades our world and our lives, we still have an opportunity and an obligation to please God in every aspect of our lives.
Because God, in his infinite wisdom created man and woman in his own image
, made them image bearers and equipped his crown of his creation with bodies that were capable of loving him and Loving others; capable of blessing their creator, obeying his commands and enjoying the very best that God had to offer in the created world.
When sin entered their lives, this flesh, that had so much potential, was tainted, but not ruined. Because of the grace that came through Jesus Christ and the cross that bore him as our sacrifice, our flesh can resist the pull of its sin nature and do
the "better things it was made for."
We remain image bearers and our bodies remain important to God as the living sacrifice and best testimony that the resurrection was the real deal. Changed lives make us affective whether we are sent out to sea in a world that has lost its way or at home in our own bathtub, where our family can thrive.
Either way, I would like to think that Scuffy could aptly say, "
God's family is the place to be.
" Thanks Scuffy.
MJC
See you Manana
Books you should read
:
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
- More than a Carpener by Josh McDowell
- Know What you believe, by Paul Little
- Through the Gates of Splendor: Elizabeth Elliott
Follow the link, and you can find them on Amazon
