An empty pen

What is the measure of a man’s life? What is the sum total of all his labor? For me the last eight years have been consumed with writing an eight hundred word faith column every week which was published in news papers and posted on the internet at http://newwineoldwineskins.blogspot.com

 

I have never received so much as one copper penny for all my labor and if I do the math to see what I have accomplished it calculates out to four hundred and sixteen separate eight-hundred word essays or 332,800 words. It makes me wonder how many of you would go to work knowing you would not be getting a paycheck. 

In addition to writing, I also prepare weekly sermons for a 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning service at Oakzanita Springs Fellowship located at the old Thousand Trails Campground off highway 79, a few miles past the sleepy town of Descanso which eventually winds up to Lake Cuyamaca. The campground is a lovely setting to teach the truths of God and everyone who works there is very nice.

As my week progresses I travel to Calvary Chapel La Mesa to teach the “Tuesday Night Live” thru-the-bible study that is recorded and can be found on Calvary Chapel La Mesa’s Face-Book page . The ninety miles of driving to get there and back from my home consumes most of a small stipend that has only recently been provided by the senior pastor. I started there in 1987.

My week continues on Wednesday night with worship and praise which begins promptly at 7:00 p.m. After worship I teach thirty minutes on the life of Christ. The fellowship meets at the Youth Center next to the Alpine Post Office. I started five years ago with two people which have grown slowly to fifteen faithful people. One woman who regularly attends wrote books for Ruth Graham. Another man spent his entire life flying Trans Atlantic flights in 767’s air bussing people to and from Europe. 

However for all of my ministry and labor of love there has not been any food put on my table or power bills paid to keep my lights on. So I really do know what it means to labor for love.

Recently, however, a friend of mine offered to publish an anthology of my writing. He graciously labored with the publisher’s demands, paid for their service and tried to keep me encouraged along the way!

What will be the end result of all our labor? Could it be a box of one hundred paperback books collecting dust in a dark garage somewhere? Where maybe a random book gets pulled out once every other year to be presented to reluctant friend or family member?

So what is the measure of a man’s life? Is it how many friends he has or how many cars are parked in his garage? Could it be the amount of time he spends each day at the office or maybe it is a list of laws he has managed to pass in congress?  

Could it be the size of his family or the love of his life that sums up the total worth of a man? Is it daily kindness or his service to others in need that gets recorded somewhere for eternity?  Will he enjoy heavenly rewards for all his labor here or shall his rewards be stored in heaven?

Every once in a while I will get a letter or a call from a someone who has read my column and has expressed their appreciation that the words on the written page has in some way encouraged them or filled them with hope. I always hold onto your encouragement and ask a blessing on those who take the time to write or call.

At this point in my life I would have to agree with King Solomon when he once penned that “all is vanity.” We are all so frail, so easily swayed and so quick to fall away from God. As I look down the sea shore of my life and see where once two pairs of footprints traveled side by side in the sand there is now a single set. Where I once walked beside my Savior, I now hang lifeless in his arms as He carries me the rest of the way.

We were not created to live forever in this fallen world. Our eternal covering of light, which once protected us, vanished as Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden of Eden.  However, God in His everlasting mercy and grace provided death so that we wouldn’t be sentenced to live eternally in sin.

The Great Day of our Lord is fast approaching and His redemption draws near! Eternal life with all its blessings in right around this carpenter’s corner!