“Have you been to that new candy shop over on Filbert Street?” Stan asked me one morning. “Carol’s Candies.”
“I didn’t know about that,” I replied. “I’m not much of a candy eater.”
“Well,” Stan said, “I have a major sweet tooth, and I was delighted with what Carol has in her candy shop, especially the saltwater taffy.”
“You like saltwater taffy?”
“I do,” Stan replied. “When I was growing up on the farm, almost every year after the crops were harvested, the family would go on vacation to the ocean.”
“Was that nearby?”
“On, no,” Stan replied, “it was a long day’s drive to get from the farm to the ocean. But the adventure of the drive was part of the vacation after the many days of the harvest.”
“How long did your family spend at the beach?” I asked.
“I think it varied from year-to-year, but it was usually a week or ten days. Maybe two weeks. At least long enough for everyone to get their fill of saltwater taffy! And I was reminded of this when I took my first taste of Carol’s saltwater taffy the other day.”
“It’s interesting how the taste buds can revive memories,” he continued. “In this instance, not only the memory of family vacations, but the reminder of how important the seashore is for my faith walk.”
“The seashore is an important reminder for your faith walk?” I asked. “How so?”
“That’s what is recorded in Mark’s gospel account about Jesus, the multitude, and teaching that occurred on the seashore near Capernaum. It says that Jesus went to the seashore at the Sea of Galilee, the crowd followed, and He taught them. It’s to be the same with me. I am to go where He is, be taught by Him, and learn all that He has to teach me.”
Concluding, he added, “If I’m in Capernaum eating saltwater taffy while Jesus is at the seashore teaching, I’m going to miss out on what He has for me.”
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Bible verses to considere:
And He went out again by the seashore; and all the multitude were coming to Him, and He was teaching them. Mark 2:13.
They were coming to Him from everywhere. Mark 1:45.
And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. John 17:3.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you want to teach me all there is for me to know about you and your Son. Thank you that knowing you and Jesus is how He defined eternal life in John 17:3. I confess that there have been times when I did not pursue your teaching as fully and as deeply as you intend. Please forgive me and help me to want to pursue all you have for me to learn from your teaching. Please help me in following your lead in that direction wherever that might be. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Jesus defined eternal life as knowing Him and God the Father. Does that seem significant to you? Why or why not? Is pursuing the knowledge of God important to you? Why or why not? If it is important to you, how are you doing with that? As well as you would like? If no, do you know how to pursue that knowledge in a way that will please both you and God? Is pursuing that knowledge what discipleship is all about? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 