When my kids were little I use to love Christmas Eve and getting things ready for them. Like most of you, I have some great memories of those years. One year I had decided that Justin was going to get a GI Joe aircraft carrier for Christmas. (Travis was not born at that time but through the years he got a lot of enjoyment out of this toy, too.) It was actually very difficult to locate. I finally found one in Mobile, Alabama and called the store and asked them to hold it for me. We were having our annual Alabama Baptist State Convention in Mobile that year so I picked it up in mid November while we were in Mobile for our convention. It was huge. The thing was 7 ½ feet long and 3 ½ feet wide. I wish I still had it. I don’t remember how much I paid for it (it seems like it was about $100) but I recently saw them listed in EBay with the cheapest being $1,000 and the most expensive being $1,895. When I got it home I took the box up into the attic. Every night for about a month, after Justin had gone to bed I would slip upstairs into the attic to work on this amazing ship. It had hundreds and hundreds of small, intricate parts. The Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Flagg included a included 16 deck clips, arrestor hook, Admirals launch, radar antennas, a flag, six missiles, a hook, 3 deck ladders, engine access covers, chairs, the fuel trailer, the tow vehicle, the radiomans computer combat computer, the armory, a microphone/sound system, the Admirals console, a stanchion, a purge valve, the helm, the main console, and a computer. It was amazing and I must admit that I had a great time putting it together. I worked on it for hours. The big night came. After we got home from our Christmas Eve service and everyone settled down for the night I slipped up into the attic to do my thing. But guess what? Did I mention that this thing was HUGE? Huge! Did I mention that it was 7 ½ feet long and 3/12 feet wide? One thing that I did not mention is that it would not fit through the opening into the attic. You would think that a semi-intelligent person would think to measure such things before spending a month putting something together. I now had about six hours to take this contraption apart, take it down stairs, and put it back together. What a ‘memorable’ night that was! I got it done. As I recall I had a few pieces that I never did exactly get into place. But that aircraft carrier provided years of fun and enjoyment and memories for both Justin, Travis, and many of their friends. Here is a word from the Word: Now great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them: If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, and even his own life-he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesnt first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, saying, This man started to build and wasnt able to finish. Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000? If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple. Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty? It isnt fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Anyone who has ears to hear should listen! (Luke 14:25-35)
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:08:32 +0000
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