MUD PUDDLES AND DANDELIONS AND DREAMS
GOD NEEDS A VEHICLE OF LOVE AND TRUTH.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
There is nothing sadder in life than a person that has lost their dreaming ability.
I. GOD NEEDS A VEHICLE OF TRUTH AND LOVE TODAY.
TEXT:
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
A. HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY ABOUT THE OLD MAN AND THE YOUNG CHILD IN THE PARK?
There was an old man and he lived in an apartment all by himself, and he spent many lonely hours his precious wife had passed away. He would just sit around crying and alone.
One day the old man’s son said: Dad, get ready I am going to come and get you and take you to the park.
The son had a brown bag with lunch in it and the son dropped the Dad off at the park. The old man walked over to a bench and sat down.
B. There was a child that lived near the park, his Mom was real busy, so she packed a few Hostess Ding Dongs in a bag and two cokes and walked the boy to the park.
C. The old man watched the child play, and so enjoyed watching him run and jump.
The boy wanted to rest and went over and asked to sit next to the old man.
They sat there, the old man shared a sandwich with the boy, and the they talked and laughed together.
D. Then the young boy shared one of his Hostess Ding Dongs with the old man. The two of them walked, the old man pushed the boy in the swing, then on the
merry go round, and they so enjoyed the day together.
E. A few hours passed, and the boy heard his Momma yell for him, so he hugged the sweet old man, kissed him on his cheek, said GOODBYE and left.
F. The little child was so excited and said Mom I met God today. God was so nice.
He talked to me, hugged me, and gave me a sandwich to eat. God pushed me on the
swing --- MOMMA GOD MADE ME FEEL SO SPECIAL, I JUST LOVE HIM.
The Mom said, What did God look like?
The child said, HE WAS OLDER THAN I THOUGHT HE WOULD BE.
G. SOME TIME LATER THE OLD MAN HEARD A CAR HORN HONK AND HE GOT UP AND RUSHED TO THE CAR.
His son greeted him, and noticed how happy the old man was.
The son asked what made him so happy?
The old man smiled real big and said I MET GOD TODAY.
God made me feel so good, we ate lunch together, I shared my sandwich with God, and God gave me a Ding Dong to eat. I haven’t had one in years.
The son looked in disgust at his Dad.
The old man said: GOD MADE ME FEEL YOUNG AGAIN, GOD MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS SPECIAL. I LOVE GOD SO MUCH.
The son asked what did God look like?
The Old Father said, HE WAS MUCH YOUNGER THAN I EXPECTED!
H. YOU COULD BE A VEHICLE OF TRUTH TO SOMEONE TODAY!
Will others see God in you?
II. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THE MAGNETIC ATTRACTION OF A MUD PUDDLE?
A. AN ADULT CAN MISS THE BEAUTY OF A MOMENT.
And adult will take a nap through the storm or the rain.
We would get cold, we would have to change our clothes.
When an adult sees a mud puddle we walk around it?
An adult knows ahead, a mud puddle will mean dirty, muddy shoes!
Dirty muddy shoes mean dirty muddy floors and carpets.
Dirty muddy carpet in the car.
This means a lot work, lets avoid it.
B. A CHILD ENJOYS THE MOMENT.
A child will love to go out and play in the snow and the rain. A kid feels a big splash from the puddle.
Here is a place to build a dam and drive my cars and trucks through.
A kid looks in the puddle and sees the reflection and runs away, to come back and peek, maybe the child pretends there is a monster in the puddle.
A child can make a mud pie, and pretend to serve the President.
C. AN ADULT LOOKS IN THE YARD AND SEES THE DANDELIONS AND THE WHITE UGLY RUBBER PLANTS THAT A BRAND NEW LAWN MOWER CAN’T CUT.
You run the lawn mower over those dumb yellow things and look a half hour later and there they are raising their heads back up laughing at you!
The weeds are taking over my pretty green yard we think.
D. A CHILD SEES THE DANLELION DIFFERENTLY, IT IS A BOUQUET FOR HIS MOMMA AND DADDY!
A Child will pick the flowers and tie them together to EXPRESS THEIR LOVE to their family.
E. We know the old drunk, he smells and he is dirty, and we avoid him.
A child will grab a few dandelions and run up to the drunk and smile, the drunk will receive the flowers and smile back.
F. A child will hear a familiar song and sing and sing loud. A child will make up a song and sing it to Momma or to Jesus. A child will dance and jump to the music, while an adult will just sit back.
I can’t sing, and I know it.
G. The child can take a stick and make it a magic wand and turn frogs into a prince. The stick can be a machine gun and blow the bad guys away.
H. A CHILD CAN LAY ON THEIR BACKS AND WATCH THE CLOUDS GO BY AND SEE ANIMALS, MONSTERS, DINOSAURS, OR WHATEVER.
They can lay on a summers night and look at the stars and dream of WHEN THEY GET BIG.
I. A CHILD CAN CHASE A LIGHTNING BUG, CATCH IT, AND IT BECOMES A TROPHY.
We adults don’t want our hands to stink.
J. Life steals our dream and our dreaming ability. We can be trapped by negative attitudes and negative words.
III. GOD NEEDS A VEHICLE OF TRUTH AND LOVE TODAY.
YOU COULD BE A VEHICLE OF TRUTH TO SOMEONE TODAY!
A. LIFE HAS A WAY OF STEALING OUR DREAM, AND THE LITTLE CHILD IN ALL OF US SEEMS TO FADE AND FADE UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE DREAM LEFT IN OUR HEARTS.
B. IN THE LONG RUN THE PESSIMIST MAY PROVE TO BE RIGHT,
BUT THE OPTIMIST WILL HAVE A SWEETER JOURNEY!
Ezekiel 7:26 Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumor shall be upon rumor; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish
from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.
IV. WE ARE SEARCHING FOR OZ. SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW?
A. Dorothy was tired of the drum, drab life of home, and started searching for
happiness and a better home.
1. SCARECROW --- REPRESENTS THE NEED OF WISDOM
2. TIN MAN --- WANTED TO HAVE A HEART
3. LION --- WAS FEAR DRIVEN AND HAD TO OVER COME.
B. All Dorothy had to do is realize the Wizard of OZ was not a wizard he was but
A LITTLE MAN...
C. I WAS WATCHING TV IN SEP’T, 1992. I wrote this in my Bible. GARTH BROOKS WAS BEING INTERVIEWED.
NBC Dateline
The reporter asked Garth How he felt since HE HAD MADE IT BIG?
GARTH THOUGHT AND ANSWERED A PROFOUND STATEMENT:
OZ IS ONLY OZ TO THOSE THAT LIVE OUTSIDE OF OZ.
D. He went on to explain, the magic of OZ is only in one’s heart and head.
When you make it, the challenges are just as great, and the happiness is a daily choice we must make.
V. CAN WE SEE CLEARLY?
A. I WAS IN LOUISVILLE... AND I WROTE IN MY BIBLE ON 3/10/94 JOE ARNETTE WAS 82 YEARS OLD, HE WAS WALKING VERY SLOW, AND LIFE HAD TAKEN A TOLL.
B. JOE SAID:
"MY EYE SIGHT MAY BE GROWING DIMMER, BUT I AM SEEING CLEARER EVERYDAY!"
C. JOE WAS BORN: 9/27/1911
I PREACHED JOE’S FUNERAL ON 12/1/03. I used what Joe said at his funeral.
JOE WAS 92 AND SEEING CLEARER THAN EVER BEFORE.
VI. MINISTRY, CHURCH AND LIFE IS TAKING RISK AND GAMBLING ON PEOPLE. JESUS TOOK A CHANCE ON YOU, WILL YOU TAKE A CHANCE ON OTHERS?
HOW DOES GOD MEASURE SUCCESS?
Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
A. Do I rejoice by choice?
B. Can we see how our daily menial attitudes and choices can have an effect on what I accomplish in life?
C. Circumstances do not dictate who I am!
D. We get all worked up over visible results and we react to problems.
E. We compare ourselves to others, and we dream unreal expectations.
VII. EVEN SONS OF PROMISE HAVE LEAN --- DRY TIMES?
DON’T LOOSE YOUR DREAM OR YOUR DREAMING ABILITY.
LEARN TO THRIVE IN HARD TIMES.
A. At VBS I heard one say: All I see is mean kids.
I heard another cry and see what the kids were going through.
THEY WERE PRAYING FOR THE KIDS.
B. I have not found this truth to be the truth?
When tuff times come, the tuff get going. Tuff times? Most quit! Not get going.
D. It is not our glowing personalities that bring miracles! Don’t steal God’s glory.
VIII. AT BEST I AM JUST A CANDLE FOR THE LORD.
I MUST GIVE MYSELF FOR THE LIGHT, THEN I MUST PASS THE TORCH TO OTHERS’ HANDS.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
A. Mother Teresa was riding a train and in a 10 second vision she heard the voice of
Jesus say: FEED THEM!
She spent a life time feeding the poor and helping the dying of India.
B. A snot nose reporter asked Mother Teresa:
Do you feel like a failure?
You have fed hungry people and there are more hungry people today than when you started?
You have helped the poor dying people of India, and more people are dying?
Do you feel like a failure?
C. MOTHER TERESA LOOKED THE YOUNG MAN IN THE EYE, AND REPLIED: GOD HAS NOT CALLED ME TO BE SUCCESSFUL, GOD CALLED ME TO BE FAITHFUL. I STAND AT MY POST OF DUTY. THAT IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN CALLED TO DO.
IX. REMEMBER EVERY HANDSHAKE IS AN IMPORTANT PERSON
THAT GOD HAS ARRANGED FOR YOU TO MEET.
GOD MAKE ME A HUMAN AGENT OF LOVE AND REVIVAL.
A. What will be said of you!
Mom launched me into life, education, love, and Jesus...
We launched her into eternity --- THERE SHE GOES.
B. My request:
Please Jesus, may others see YOU in my eyes and my heart.
C. GOD NEEDS A VEHICLE OF TRUTH AND LOVE TODAY.
YOU COULD BE A VEHICLE OF TRUTH TO SOMEONE TODAY!
MY FRIEND --- DREAM AGAIN! KEEP DREAMING.
TREASURES IN HEAVEN ARE LAID UP AS TREASURES ON EARTH ARE LAID DOWN.
Invest in a new dream!
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me please? Enlarge my hands. Pass this on to another.
