Gramp's Morning Thoughts: A Gramps’ Morning Message To All of You Who Feel You Have Nothing to Give to God. (Con’t)

Repeat from June 25, 2019

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Hey Gang, After graduating from high school - which was by mutual consent, (the Junior Hi guidance counselor, upon meeting my mother for the first time said, “Are You the Mrs. Hainley – not knowing my Dad was on of 7 brothers! )”- I trudged off to college. I have no idea why I chose to go to college; my academic achievements, up to that point were less than dismal

My confidence level that I would be more than a janitor or painter, like my dad, was engrained deep in my mind. I was truly locked into “I was what I thought I was” -a nothing burger that would never reach the next step in the ladder. But I need to make a point here: my attitude had not one iota the attitude that God had of me; however, that would become abundantly clear to me later in my life.

Like many young folks today, I was totally ill equipped to handle being on my own on a college campus. In my two-year tenure in college I went from probation, to double probation and finally the dean called me in and said “Son, at the rate you are going, it will take you seventeen years to graduate.

For the next two years I did what I had learned to do very well, “floundered” but God was in the process of getting me ready to enter into that phase of my life called “Don’t get to comfortable”. I fooled him and accomplished that goal in twelve years! Steps one and two came fairly close together; I met this girl, a Cadillac kind of girl, and I did not feel I was worthy to even consider a relationship.

But, when God is doing the programming, one should never not at least see if the door is ajar. A lesson I learned during this tenure was open every door of opportunity and let Him shut it, if it is not His will for your life.

The second door was a second major change. In 1955 I received a letter from my friends and neighbors that said, “Your help is needed in the United States Army.” But coming from a flying family, I chose to by-pass the two- year hitch and joined the Air Force for four years! It was during this time that my attitude began to change and began to feel that perhaps I had some value on this earth.

Now this epistle could turn into a book so let me cut to the chase and free you to go about your day. In the Air force they did not ask me or beg me to step up to the line to become a productive airman, they said, “You will do it! You will use your God-given talents and become an Air Traffic Controller- the top of all career fields that opened the door for a career job after my AF Service days ended.

The doors were now open, and it was up to me to walk through them. I proposed to that Cadillac I mentioned above and amazing to me, she said yes. We married in 1957.

After we completed my tenure as an airman the door opened for a career job with the Federal Aviation Agency. But remember the statement, “Don’t get to comfortable?” By this time we had two little ones and changes were being made in FAA and I did not feel they were in the best interest of my family to adapt to the new changes. Sooo it was to that place the Dean said it would take me seventeen years to graduate - but this time it was with a different attitude! Kermit and father in law 1963 One month later

Now, let me wrap this up, the message I am trying to give to you- who feel you have nothing to offer God. Your worse enemy is the person who greets you every morning on your bathroom mirror.

When God wired you before birth He installed His wiring system unto you and that wiring system consists of the plateaus He wants to give you in your life. But as mentioned above, we can lock ourselves into a low rung on the totem pool by believing “We are what we think”. It is like the principle of the Seed Planter! Doctor Luke wrote, “If we give, God will give back to us” (Luke 6:33). Does that mean just giving to others? I do not think so, for it is like the speech that the Flight Attendance give on every aircraft: “If oxygen fails in the plane, put on your oxygen mask on first- so you will be able to put the mask on others”.

Kermit before leaving CA

One last point before I close: In that same verse given to us by Luke, he goes on and uses a wonderful word not once but three times. That word is ‘”measure”’. Luke says, “If you give, I (God) will pour into your lap in the good measure running over.” Now zero in on the next phrase: “But, by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38).

Do you get the point? When I realized God was ready to move me to higher ground, I had to be ready, willing and work hard to follow the way He prepared for that climb! I know this works because he took my raw protoplasm – the person who was locked into the cellar and broke me free from the bondages that I had placed on myself! Go thou and do Likewise!