Thinking Big

One of the great preachers of our day is Fred Craddock who tells a story of his boy hood. He says, “… once I was taken out of the house and to the backyard and was allowed to lie on the grass and chew the tender stems of grass.

You know how you do on a summer evening, just lie there, chew the tender grass, and look up at the sky. And my father said to me, “Son, how far can you think?” I said, “What?” He said, “How far can you think?” “Well, I don’t know what you mean.” “Just think as far as you can think up toward the stars.” I screwed my imagination down, and I said, “I’m thinking…I’m thinking…I’m thinking.” He said, “Think as far as you can think.” “I’m thinking as far as I can think.” He said,

“Well, drive down a stake out there now. In your mind, drive down a stake, Have you driven down the stake? That’s how far you can think.” I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “Now what’s on the other side of your stake?” I said, “Well, there’s more sky.” He said, “Move your stake.” And we spent the evening moving my stake out there. It was a crazy thing to do, [said Fred] but I will never thank him enough for doing it.

Fred’s story has encouraged me to keep thinking bigger – moving my stake!

This story was related to our Acts 16:5 team by Stan Ott.

What does God have in mind for Geneva ? How far can you think?

Keith M