COOPERATING WITH GOD

For approximately three weeks toward the end of October each year, I would be out in the yard raking leaves onto a huge tarp. I then would drag the tarp to the garden area . . . again and again until there wasn't a leaf remaining on the ground. Five huge maples in the front yard and five huge ones in the back yard yield a million leaves each - or so it seemed.

One particular year, however, something special happened. As the trees shed their bits of color, they created a golden carpet all around the house. I marveled at God’s sense of beauty in this world. I also braced ourselves, knowing the intense work which awaited me. Then, to my surprise, a huge wind storm blew into our area. High winds stripped the remaining leaves off the trees and blew them, and those carpeting the ground, into the woods. Of course, there were a few nooks, crannies and gullies where the leaves wanted to settle. Knowing that if they were allowed to stay we would have a soggy mess in the spring, I grabbed my rake and headed out to help them along to the woods.

What a marvelous feeling - to cooperate with the power of God as shown in the wind. As I raked, the wind did all of the work for me. The leaves, with very little effort on my part, went sailing hundreds of feet through the air into the pines and apple orchard.

How like that our lives should be. As we live our daily lives out in cooperation with God’s power, our least little effort can be carried forth by Him, to yield the exact results He had planned from the beginning of time.

Praise the Lord from the earth . . . stormy wind fulfilling His command. Psalm 148:7 & 8

Heavenly Father, please show me how to cooperate with You minute by minute throughout my day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.