Crosscut Sawing

When I was a teenager, my dad showed me how to use a two-man crosscut saw.  Did I mention two-“man”?!  I was working hard to impress my dad, but by trying too hard, I kept making the saw bind, which frustrated me AND my dad.  Dad was unusually patient and said, “Relax.  Let the saw do the work.  Your only job is to pull.  Don’t push, just pull.”  So, I had to learn to trust my dad to do his part and me to do my part.  His part was to pull, and my part was to pull.  If I pushed, the flexible sawblade would jam up and the cutting would stop.  The saw had a gentle curve in the middle, which gave it a cutting stroke throughout the length of the saw.  The sheer weight of the saw, the sharp teeth, and the long stroke of the blade sweeping sawdust out of the cut made short work of a log.  As I relaxed, the tempered tool-steel in the saw began to sing as it moved through the wood.  I pulled, and then relaxed during my dad’s pull.  I got the hang of sawing and actually enjoyed it!  Hey, just like working with my Dad, I need to work with the Holy Spirit, my spiritual helper.  Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  Hey, often I try to do the work of the Holy Spirit.  I try to convince folk of their need of salvation.  I try to talk people into salvation.  But saving a soul is God’s work.  My work is only to present the Gospel.  It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to do the convicting.  If I will relax and genuinely share the good news of salvation, and pray, God will do His work.  I just need to relax and work WITH God.  I do my part and God does His part.  Thank you, Lord, for letting me work with you in your plan for the ages!