Author and speaker Canon J. John tells this story:
A factory employee headed home at the end of a long day, pushing a wheelbarrow. Inside the wheelbarrow was a small box.
At the security gate, the guard stopped him and asked, “What’s in the box?”
The worker replied, “The sawdust from the floor. At the end of the day, it’s swept up and thrown away. I need some, so I put it in a box to take home.”
The guard looked inside the box and, sure enough, it was filled with sawdust. So he sent the worker on his way.
The next day, the same thing happened. The third day and the fourth day, too. On the fifth day, when the worker came through with a wheelbarrow and a box of sawdust, the guard pulled him aside. He said, “Tell me why you’re stealing sawdust, and I promise I won’t report you.”
The worker said, “I’m not stealing sawdust. I’m stealing wheelbarrows.”
Life is like that. We get so focused on a box of sawdust that we never notice the wheelbarrow carrying it by. We’re so distracted by our circumstances that we miss the bigger story unfolding in our lives: the same power that raised Jesus from the dead can live in us and help us experience a fullness of life we never thought possible.
If you’ve never been introduced to the power of God’s transforming grace – or if you need to be reminded of it – I encourage you to tune in to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. We are airing a recorded message from Canon J.John that is filled with stories, humor, and inspiration for discovering spiritual meaning that makes sense of everyday life.
Join us on your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or listen on our free phone app.
You may be interested in a free online booklet we’ve written called, “Coming Home: An Invitation to Join God’s Family,” which explains what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
