RACING DOWN THE RIVER

Dear Readers,

Someone once said, "True freedom is not a question of doing as we
like, but doing as we ought."

Clovis Chappell, a nineteenth century minister, used to tell an
interesting story about two paddleboats.
The two boats, powered by coal, left Memphis about the same time,
traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled
side-by-side, sailors from one vessel made some critical remarks and
jokes about the snail's pace of the other boat.

Heated words were exchanged between the men on the two boats.
Challenges were made. So the race began. The competition was hot and
heavy as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

Eventually, one boat began falling behind. The problem: it didn't have
enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not
enough for a race.

As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of
the ship's cargo and tossed it into the boat's ovens. When his fellow
sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as coal, they fueled
their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport.

Guess what? They ended up winning the race. But they burned their
cargo.

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

The men on the winning boat did what they liked, which was winning the
race. But the price for that victory was expensive. The boat's cargo,
the very reason they were traveling down the river in the first place,
was sacrificed. So they failed to do what they ought to have done,
which was to safely transport their cargo.

You may not have thought about it, but God has entrusted each of us
with cargo. Our cargo is other people, such as friends and family, and
the ability He has given us to help someone else. We are responsible
for this cargo, and ought to cherish it in our journey through life.

Thanks
JS