When Kris and Kell got back to their rental car at Driftwood Beach in Georgia, they found an envelope under the windshield wiper of the car. The envelope contained airplane tickets to Longview, Texas. They had to leave right away so that they could get to the airport in time for their flight. They were excited to go on another adventure, but also a little embarrassed! They were wet from getting caught in the ocean tide, and they smelled kind of like seaweed! There was no time to go anywhere to take a shower or change clothes, they were going to have to get on that airplane just the way they were!
The airplane was not crowded, and once the other passengers looked at Kris and Kell and noticed that their hair was wet and messed up (with a little seaweed in it), and then they noticed that Kris and Kell smelled like seaweed! The other passengers quickly moved to empty seats as far from Kris and Kell as they could go! It looked like this was going to be another misadventure!
When they landed in Longview, Texas, a person met them with their instructions and the money that they would need. The person meeting them could not believe how bad they looked or how bad they smelled. Their instructions said that they had a rental car waiting for them and they needed to drive about 50 minutes to Caddo Lake State Park. The person that met them said that they had a cabin reserved for them, and the cabin had a shower, and hinted that they needed to use the shower! Kris and Kell completely agreed! They did not like to look and smell the way that they did now.
When they got to Caddo Lake, they checked in at the office and were directed to their cabin.
Their cabin had been built in the 1930’s during the great depression by young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps. (CCC). The first thing they did was to take showers! After they were looking (and smelling) normal, they realized that they were hungry. They discovered a problem! There was no stove or refrigerator in their cabin, but there was a microwave oven! So, they went to a store and looked for food that could be cooked in a microwave and could be eaten in one meal because they could not keep leftovers!
Their instructions told them that the next morning they were supposed to rent a canoe and spend the day paddling in the waterways in the park. At first this sounded like a very boring adventure, but when they got into their canoe and began to paddle, they could not believe their eyes!
The place where they were paddling was called Big Cypress Bayou. There were huge trees growing out in the water! These trees are called Bald Cypress Trees and they only grow in or alonside waterways, such as this. They had to be very careful as they paddled because the cypress trees were everywhere. In some places there were wooden stumps sticking up out of the water. These are called ‘knees’ and they are a part of the root system of the cypress trees.
The cypress trees look like they have mossy green hair, but this is not hair, this is Spanish Moss. Spanish Moss is not part of the trees, it is an entirely different plant that grows in the trees and hangs down like long hair! Kris wanted to stand up in the canoe to see if he could reach some of the Spanish Moss, but Kell screamed at him and told him not to stand up! If he stood up, the canoe might tip over, and there are some alligators living in these waters! Kris did not want to meet an alligator, so he did not stand up!
The day went by quickly! There was so much to see while paddling in this State Park. There were many birds and other wildlife, and the cypress trees with the Spanish Moss hanging down was incredibly beautiful! This whole park seemed to be filled with life! There were so many things to look at, it seemed like every minute they were seeing something new!
Too soon the sun was starting to go down and they had to take their canoe back. After returning the canoe they went back to their cabin for another meal from the microwave! When they opened the microwave there was an envelope inside of it that said to drive back to Longview, Texas tomorrow and catch a plane to their next destination. There were airplane tickets in the envelope. There was also a note that said, “Remember to take a shower before you leave!”
Lesson Learned about God:
The Caddo Lake State Park in Texas is filled with many kinds of life. There are the huge cypress trees, the Spanish moss, the birds, land animals, and even alligators! The park is full of life!
Just like that park has abundant life, people can also have abundant life within them!
Jesus makes an incredible promise to people who believe in Him and have asked Him to come into their life and forgive their sins; Jesus offers abundant life to those who follow Him with their whole heart!
In the Bible in John 10:10 Jesus says:
The thief (Satan) comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
Some people have the idea that they will just ask Jesus to forgive them so that they can go to heaven after this life, and they do not want to put much effort into living for Jesus on this earth, but this is not the best way! We are called to love Jesus and live for Jesus with all that we have in us!
In the Bible in Mark 12:29-31 Jesus says:
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
When you follow Jesus with everything you have in you, then Jesus will give you the most abundant life you can imagine! It will be the greatest adventure ever!
Report to the grandmother:
- At the travel agency – God has a good plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11
- Florida – God is watching over us, we do not need to be fearful. Psalms 23
- Wisconsin – Temptations. I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 14:12, I John 1:9
- Minnesota – Never take your eyes off Jesus. Matthew 14:22-33
- Kentucky – God’s Word (the Bible) is the truth! John 17:17
- Louisianna – Choose Heaven and the Tree of Life. Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:27 thru 22:5
- Illinois – God is in control. Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28-30, Proverbs 16:9
- New Mexico – God is our place of safety. Psalms 46:1-3, Psalms 91:1-2, Psalms 18:1-2, John 14:1-3
- Alabama – Training for heaven. I Peter 1:18-21, I John 3:2-3, Ephesians 5:1-2, I Peter 2:21, II Timothy 4:6-8
- Georgia – Sin erodes a person’s life and brings death. Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 3:22-25a
- Texas – Jesus offers abundant life. John 10:10, Mark 12:29-31.