As I write this, the forecast is for a considerable amount of rain to move into East Tennessee over the next day or so. Indeed, the radar on my tablet app shows green yellow and red stretching all the way back across Alabama, Mississippi, and into Louisiana and out into the Gulf of Mexico. But, to paraphrase Louisa May Alcott, "my wife and I are not afraid of the storm; for we are learning to clean our gutters!"
A few years ago (on 10/16/2014 to be exact), I posted a blog titled CLUTTER IN THE GUTTER. At that time, I shared about how we had landscaped our yard back when we first bought our home.
At the time of our purchase, we had no foliage to speak of. We were advised to plant River Burch trees, which were said to grow quickly, and to provide ample shade and greenery. Suffice it to say that they have now lived up to their billing. In fact, if not pruned regularly, they grow almost as full and as fast as kudzu!
They also shed a fair amount, filling the valleys of our roof and our gutters with so much arboreal detritus that, if it is not cleaned out two or three times each spring and fall, will clog the gutters and downspouts completely. For this reason, my wife and I dutifully climbed up on step ladders and performed this accepted seasonal ritual once again this past weekend.
The process of clearing our gutters brought something else to my mind. I remembered that I had previously taken notice of a similar issue with several of the various street drains in our subdivision. With this in mind, I grabbed a small rake and took a stroll through our neighborhood.
To be precise, we have nine street drains positioned at strategic locations throughout our subdivision. I soon discovered that each one of them, to some extent, was clogged with dirt, leaves, gravel, plants, and/or similar debris. One or two were almost completely obscured. It took a little work; but within a half hour or so, I had succeeded in excavating each of them back down to their original metal grates.
And just in time, I might add. For the rain that is predicted to move in tonight will now be allowed to drain freely from the roof over my head and the street under my feet! With this confidence, I say again, “Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.” For I know that that which falls upon me and mine will now flow smoothly through to other points.
With that simple metaphor in mind, I remind you that we too are designed to be conduits. Harper G. Smith understood this. Back in 1903, he penned these words to the wonderful Christian hymn titled “Make Me a Channel of Blessing”:
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing through you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready His service to do?
Refrain:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Are you burdened for those that are lost?
Have you urged upon those who are straying
The Savior Who died on the cross?
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is it a daily telling for Him?
Have you spoken the Word of salvation
To those who are dying in sin?
Allow me to stress the words to the refrain one more time:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.
Mr. Smith was quite right. God does desire to use us as a channel of blessings to others. For this reason, it is imperative that we make certain there is nothing in our lives that impedes the flow of any such blessing to others.
My wife and I have learned that even the smallest of twigs, if allowed to lie across a downspout entrance, will soon begin to snag and snare debris and grow into a full scale gutter malfunction. For this reason, we have also learned to give regular attention to keeping the trash out of our gutters.
In a similar vein, how much more effective of a channel of blessings for Jesus Christ might we all be if we would only regularly examine our lives and cleanse them of any activities or pursuits that impede the flow of God’s love and grace!
LYRICS SOURCE:
http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Make_Me_a_Channel_of_Blessing/.
A few years ago (on 10/16/2014 to be exact), I posted a blog titled CLUTTER IN THE GUTTER. At that time, I shared about how we had landscaped our yard back when we first bought our home.
At the time of our purchase, we had no foliage to speak of. We were advised to plant River Burch trees, which were said to grow quickly, and to provide ample shade and greenery. Suffice it to say that they have now lived up to their billing. In fact, if not pruned regularly, they grow almost as full and as fast as kudzu!
They also shed a fair amount, filling the valleys of our roof and our gutters with so much arboreal detritus that, if it is not cleaned out two or three times each spring and fall, will clog the gutters and downspouts completely. For this reason, my wife and I dutifully climbed up on step ladders and performed this accepted seasonal ritual once again this past weekend.
The process of clearing our gutters brought something else to my mind. I remembered that I had previously taken notice of a similar issue with several of the various street drains in our subdivision. With this in mind, I grabbed a small rake and took a stroll through our neighborhood.
To be precise, we have nine street drains positioned at strategic locations throughout our subdivision. I soon discovered that each one of them, to some extent, was clogged with dirt, leaves, gravel, plants, and/or similar debris. One or two were almost completely obscured. It took a little work; but within a half hour or so, I had succeeded in excavating each of them back down to their original metal grates.
And just in time, I might add. For the rain that is predicted to move in tonight will now be allowed to drain freely from the roof over my head and the street under my feet! With this confidence, I say again, “Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.” For I know that that which falls upon me and mine will now flow smoothly through to other points.
With that simple metaphor in mind, I remind you that we too are designed to be conduits. Harper G. Smith understood this. Back in 1903, he penned these words to the wonderful Christian hymn titled “Make Me a Channel of Blessing”:
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing through you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready His service to do?
Refrain:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Are you burdened for those that are lost?
Have you urged upon those who are straying
The Savior Who died on the cross?
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is it a daily telling for Him?
Have you spoken the Word of salvation
To those who are dying in sin?
Allow me to stress the words to the refrain one more time:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.
Mr. Smith was quite right. God does desire to use us as a channel of blessings to others. For this reason, it is imperative that we make certain there is nothing in our lives that impedes the flow of any such blessing to others.
My wife and I have learned that even the smallest of twigs, if allowed to lie across a downspout entrance, will soon begin to snag and snare debris and grow into a full scale gutter malfunction. For this reason, we have also learned to give regular attention to keeping the trash out of our gutters.
In a similar vein, how much more effective of a channel of blessings for Jesus Christ might we all be if we would only regularly examine our lives and cleanse them of any activities or pursuits that impede the flow of God’s love and grace!
LYRICS SOURCE:
http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Make_Me_a_Channel_of_Blessing/.