The Old Tractor

February 9, 2015

Several have asked if I would repost this favorite from 2011.

“…‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.  Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” – Matthew 20:13-15


Inequality – It’s Not Fare – Jealousy – Envy – Lust – Greed – Cheated - Betrayed

What other words can you think of to describe the emotions that run through our mind when we feel someone has wronged us?  It’s so hard in today’s world to take one’s eyes off of our own struggles, our own trials and focus on the blessings and joy that God has provided for us uniquely.  We find it easy to praise God and to rejoice with others as long as we are getting our fare share of the spoils, but what constitutes a fare share?

This parable found in Matthew 20:1-16 tells us that God’s love, His generosity, His grace and His eternal blessing is equally available to all mankind.  Why should this bother us so much?  Why should we be angered when another person accepts the graciousness and beauty of God’s salvation?  If someone’s life is completely unrighteous and filthy as seen through our eyes, isn’t the plan of salvation just as important for that person as it is for the person who has tried to live righteously? 

It’s like this.  A farmer’s tractor break’s down right in the middle of the harvest season.  He hits his knees that night and prays for God’s blessings and help in this situation, so he might finish the harvesting of his crop before the rains come.  The next day as the farmer was going to town he passed by another farm, where an aged tractor sat by the road, with a sign on it – “FREE – Just pay for the gas”  He walked up to the door to inquire, feeling unbelievably blessed that the Lord would answer his prayer this way.  When the door opened, a young man stood there with a baby in his arms and a few more toddlers by his feet; his eyes were red and puffy.  The farmer asked, “Sir – are you giving away your tractor?”  Nodding, the young man said, “Yes I am, as long as you pay for the gas to get it back to your place.”  The farmer couldn’t believe it, so he asked “Does it run, and will it work for harvesting my fields?”  With a smile, he replied, “Without a doubt, it’s solid and trustworthy.  My father meticulously took care of it ever since I was a kid.”  The farmer counted it a blessing and wasted no time, “I’ll take it young man.” And they shook hands to seal the deal.

 Later in the day, the farmer got a ride back to pick up the tractor and there was a line of trucks and cars in the young man’s drive way.  As the farmer made his way through the crowd he found the young man.  “I’ve come to get the tractor.”  He couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, what are all of these people doing here?”  The young man with tears in his eyes said to the farmer, “They are here for the same reason as you.  I am giving it all away.  You see my father ran this farm, and died this past week.  I know nothing of running a farm and need none of this stuff, so I’m giving it all away.  Here are the keys to the tractor, take good care of it, won’t you?”  Looking around the farmer noticed all of the things being loaded into trucks, and hooked to the back of trucks to be towed away.  He said to the young man, “I’m sorry about your father, I truly am, but why didn’t you tell me you were giving all of this away?  I would have taken it all off your hands.”  Biting his lower lip, the young man managed to say, “My father loved this community and it was his wish that his love be shared with all of them.  I was hoping you would still be grateful for the free tractor.”  The farmer walked away but couldn’t help from feeling jealous, cheated and less than grateful as he hoped aboard the aged tractor.  Turning the key, it started perfectly and the farmer pulled away toward his farm, for there was still much work to be done.

We are conditioned to never be satisfied.  The latest gadget comes out and we have to have it.  The neighbor gets a new car, and all of a sudden my car isn’t quite as good anymore.  We need to learn to be content in what the Lord has provided for us.  Count the blessings you do have, rather than focusing on those you do not have.  When all is said and done, is there anything more valuable than an eternity with God the Father? 


Heavenly Father,
Maker of all things, You have blessed me with health, joy, a wonderful family and a roof over my head.  You have met all of my needs and then some, and I stand before You spoiled by Your grace, love and mercy.  Thank You for Your plan of salvation and for providing for my family’s needs.  I ask You Lord to bless those who are less fortunate, provide shelter for those who are homeless and food for those who are hungry.  Help me be a vessel of Your love to all that I meet.  In Jesus name we pray – Amen.


© Sondove Enterprises

Break the Addictions

February 6, 2015

“For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.  But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” – Romans 7:5-6

You are an addict, as am I.  It’s so common for us to look at those who have chemical dependencies and comment on their addictions without taking a good look at our own lives.  Consider the definition of addiction: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming.  We think of those addicted to narcotics, alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.  We watch as lives are destroyed and commit to pray for them to be released from their bondage.  Time after time we comment that this person or that person needs help, they need to be in rehab.

Certainly, these examples of abuse and addictions are harmful to the person’s body, their mind and will shorten their lives; but are they overall more destructive than my addictions?  You see, we all are bound by something in this world.  For some it’s money, for some it’s work, for some it’s power/authority, for some it’s sex, and for some it’s even technology.  The list is endless as to what each of you may be addicted to, but I assure you it is real, and it is destructive as well.

Addictions represent that thing which we are bound by and that which we find difficult to turn from.  The action which takes place is a habitual as that of someone who smokes or drinks and can’t bring themselves to stop.  Take a few examples into consideration.  Could you stop using your cellphone?  Could you quit your job and find one that paid less, but offered you more family time and freedom in life?  Could you trade in your newer shiny car and buy an old beat up clunker to drive to and from work?  Could you give up television?  Are you one of the 67% of online users that search for pornography at least once a week? 

The reality is that we are all bound by worldly things.  Yes, some are bound by drugs and alcohol, but I propose that your addiction and my addiction to love, lust, money, things and entertainment is just as dangerous.  Perhaps not in the physical harm to your body, but in the emotional and spiritual effect.  When we abide in the world we are not abiding in Him.  You cannot do both.  You are either living for yourself or you are living for God.  There is no middle on this.  Our flesh wants pleasure and for our personal desires to be met.  Our spirit wants to commune with God in everything we do.  The battleground is within your own mind and you alone have to choose the outcome.  Sincerely take the time to evaluate how you are spending your time, what are you bound by and are you giving God the priority He so deserves, or are you focusing on the world’s perspective.


© Sondove Enterprises, 2015
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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The Unknown Neighbor

February 4, 2015

““The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”” – Mark 12:29-31

150 feet, maybe as much as 300 if you’re in the country.  The distance between you and a person that is having a bad day.  If you walked out of your front door and took 100 steps before ringing the door bell, might your effort at loving those around you change their entire day?  Many of us are guilty of looking right past those closest to us to try to help people on the other side of the world.  Perhaps the anonymity is what drives our choices or perhaps it is fear of knowing that we have to face our neighbors every day, so we don’t allow ourselves to get really close.

Those who live next door to you, across the street and around the corner are faced with the same eternal decision that you are faced with.  The reality is that they are going to die, and their eternal fate will be established.  When the scriptures tell us to love others like He has loved us, what does that mean to you?  It is God’s desire that none shall perish (2 Peter 3:8-9), and we have been called to serve Him while in this life.  Does your neighbor know of your faith, and do you know of theirs?

Is it sufficient in your mind that you alone have been saved and assured the grace and mercy from the most Holy God on judgment day?  Do you not have enough compassion and love for your those around you to share His redemptive story with them?  Think of the concentric circles surrounding your very house and work outward rather than reaching across the oceans and trying to work inward.  Be His feet, be His voice, be His hands to those around you.  Do not fear of what you will say, for God has promised the Spirit will speak through you at the appropriate time.  Your job is to walk the 150 feet and ring the doorbell.  Stop making excuses, and get your shoes on, there is much to do and many to reach.


© Sondove Enterprises, 2015
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
If you would like to be added to the email distribution please email me at Sondove1@yahoo.com  

Breaking the Fear

February 3, 2015

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ – Isaiah 41:10

Fear can paralyze you. I went for a walk a few weeks back with our new Golden Retriever puppy.  He is so full of energy and life and surprising strength for such a little thing.  As we walking along he is happily prancing the grass along the edge of the road on an extension leash, while I walked down the center of the road (more or less).  Every now and then he would reach the end of the leash and it would remove all of the slack and he would pull against it, only to realize it wasn’t going to give and he would come back closer; happily trotting along. 

We came upon the storm drains on the sides of road in our neighborhood.  You know the ones I’m referring to ~ 6 feet long x 6” high built into the curb and connected underground to the sewer.  I was surprised to see him freeze in his tracks and pull back against the leash.  He actually started backing up, rather than proceed near these drains on the side of the road.  I pulled the leash and he locked his paws and pulled back as hard as he could, using every muscle in his small body to avoid walking near that drain.  Then he laid down and refused to move.

We had walked past these drains dozens of times before as he grew from 6 weeks to 4 months, so I was uncertain why he reacted this way on this walk.  I actually had to pick him up carry him past the drain, put him back down and he was completely happy again, bouncing and running in the grass.  Now, every time we go for a walk it’s the same reaction when we come upon a storm drain, and not just that one from the first day, any storm drain ignites the same reaction.

Fear of something has entered his mind and he is associating it with storm drains.  I’m not sure if it’s a smell coming from within or whether he has a fear of falling down inside (although at this point he has grown to big to ever fit), but something has him seriously afraid of drawing to close.  The last few times we’ve walked him I’ve learned to draw his leash close to me and walk down the center of the road (10 to 12 feet from the drain) and he walks right past them.  He is still somewhat skiddish but doesn’t stop in paralyzed fear.

Aren’t we the same way though.  There are things we run into in life that frighten us to the point of paralyzing any forward momentum.  We choose to back up or simply lay down in defeat, and stop trying.  We fail to realize that our Father in Heaven is walking right along side of us and is more powerful than anything we come upon.  Fear is a very real obstacle in making progress in our Christian walk and we must overcome it through belief that He alone is more powerful and will see us through. 

Just as our puppy (Boomer) needs to trust in my guiding hand and strength to overcome his fears we must trust in our Lord to overcome ours.  Nothing in this world is beyond His reach and/or control.  Your faith will see you through the hardships and overcome the fears if you allow it to.


© Sondove Enterprises, 2015
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
If you would like to be added to the email distribution please email me at Sondove1@yahoo.com