Pass it On
May 27
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
Bill took his time as he showed his grandson, Nelson, how to position the crippler for the closet door header in the wall they were building. “Leave three and a half inches at the top of each crippler, Nelson. That will allow us to insert the header,” he explained.
“You know everything about building houses Gramps!” Nelson said in admiration. “Did you figure it out all by yourself?” he asked.
Bill smiled at the nine year old’s question. “No, Buddy,” he admitted. “My dad started my construction education when I was about your age. As a matter of fact, he gave me that very hammer you’re using.” With a note of ceremony in his voice, Bill said, “And now I’m giving it to you.”
Looking at the hammer with a sense of reverence, Nelson said, “Wow! Thanks, Gramps! I promise to take good care of it!”
“Let me give you one bit of advice, Nelson,” he said. “Never tire of learning and always remember there are different ways to do almost every task. Those who love carpentry have invested time in learning the trade. Learn all you can from them. Then use what you’ve learned to create works of art, and look to pass it on to future generations.”
†
Solomon, in today’s text, assures us that mankind is repetitive in nature; nothing we do is being done for the first time. Although individual accomplishments might differ from generation to generation, the underlying knowledge of the why and how of the world has been understood for centuries. Hence, what we do today has been done before.
This is not to dismiss or minimize our efforts. On the contrary, we should strive to fine tune those things that we’ve been doing for millennia.
Legendary UCLA Basketball coach, John Wooden, said, “You’ll never know anything you didn’t learn from someone else.” Our goal should be to devote ourselves to learning whatever God has equipped us for so we can do the best job possible, and then we will be in a position to pass on what we have learned.
Prayer
“Everything I can do is because of You, Lord. Give me opportunity to pass along all You have taught me to future generations. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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