If you grew up in the eighties as I did, you might recall certain toys and items of clothing that bring back a great sense of nostalgia. Like my Naff Naff Co shell suit jacket, portable CD player that had to be kept laser level to play a CD, and Reebok pumps.
Well anyway, I was praying this morning and had a picture of this little beauty, the cereal box rubber popper. Remember those gems? We would open a cereal box with much excitement and anticipation and inside was a rubber dome shape called the ‘rubber popper.’ In the adverts as the blond haired kid poured his breakfast the toy neatly fell into his bowl, but in reality my bro and I would rip the box apart as soon as mum brought it home from shopping.
You would push this dome inside out and set it down on a variety of surfaces and wait for the pop. They really would go too, depending on the size and surface it would regularly be hindered by the ceiling on its upward journey.
Here’s the point; as I was praying I remembered someone in our family who had recently passed away. It was really sudden, talking and getting on with stuff at home and then gone in an instant.
The Bible talks about how quickly life happens, maybe you have sensed that yourself. As I look at my kid’s lives and my life, 36 years have gone fast.
‘Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.’ Psalm 39:3-5
Back to the rubber popper, and the prayer. I am asking God to turn me inside out, not literally, but to push me and mold me so that I am like that rubber popper. Once God has set me right and on the right surface, HIS chosen place and surfaces – boom!
Let’s be men who surrender to God’s hand unconditionally. Ask him to work on you and turn things inside out so you’re not just sitting in the box. You’re primed and ready to go.
When that popper goes it really goes. Let’s be men who make a Kingdom impact, men who for the short time we have give everything. Let’s not hit that ceiling and fade away, let’s keep going. Dream big, think big, pray big, see God do big things in us, around us and through us.
Image credit: Photo by Greg Goebel / CC BY 2.0
