Mark Hall's (casting crowns) teachings

I grew up in a small town in the states and i used to go and watch these little parades that come through our town. They are pretty rare to come by and when they do, there is a big hoo-hah over them. Now, i was vertically challenged back then. Well, that's what you say when you wanna politically say you're short. So i would squeeze between the adults and my head could only stick out a teeny wee bit and all i have is this restricted view of the parade. We kids would wait for the 3 things we love to see every year: Bikers, Candy and Santa Claus.

So i would painfully wait and watch as a bunch of old people walk by, i dunno where these folks came from or why they were waving at us. Then would come the band and they would play their songs and the girls would be throwing their batons in the air - and they would fall to the ground and its really depressing to see. But me and the other kids would wait patiently for the 3 best floats to come by, Bikers, Candy and Santa.

Then finally, after an agonizing wait, the CANDY float comes, and the paraders would hand out their candy and i would reach my hands out as far as i could to grab hold of the candy bars. As quick as they came, they would go, then i would wait for the Bikers and santa.

I used to wish i could have this view from the top of a building so i'd knew what was coming next, so that my wait would not be so agonizingly painful. So i could see all the floats, where the band, old folks and such and such were, and i could figure where and when the Candy, Bikers and Santa were coming. Unfortunately, i didn't have this kinda view.

Is'nt it common for us to wish we knew wad was coming next? That we knew that in 7 days, or 7 weeks or 7 months and even years, this good thing would be coming my way? That my labour would not be in vain? And that i know that i am working for this reward which will come tomorrow. Then it takes the fun out of things. It takes the fun of life away from us.

But God knows what is coming. He knows our tomorrows, He knows wad we're gonna do, He know's when we're gonna slip up. He's the only one who has a bird's eye view of our lives. So it wouldn't hurt to know that an all-knowing, all-loving God is behind the happenings in our lives, and He is in full control. And it sure wouldn't hurt to have Him leading us on, because He knows. He knows when the candy bars in our lives are coming right up to us, cuz He's the one giving them to us.

Abide and trust in the Lord. So we know that despite our hard toils on this Earth, a whole parade of Candy bars would be awaiting us at the end of this race.