Stepping-Stones

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting a gentle and godly man who lived in a small house flanked by a beautiful garden. An array of plants thrived under his tender care and bloomed profusely, delighting him and those who visited.

His garden was long and narrow, like his one-room-wide house. One side bordered his house, the other the property line. A series of stepping-stones separated the two sections and led visitors to his backyard where he grew vegetables--and more flowers. 

I thought about those stepping-stones recently when I read a devotional in Amy Carmichael's book, Thou Givest...They Gather. Amy says that God has given us abilities and resources (including time and the Bible) that we will use to "build ere work be done, a stumbling block or a stepping-stone" (p.141). 

She says that with every thought, word, and deed, we create either a stepping-stone (that will help others find their way heavenward) or a stumbling block (that will hinder them on their spiritual journey.)

I learned that the man who had placed the stepping-stones in his garden was also laying spiritual stepping-stones (lots of them!) for others. For example, when the children in the neighborhood gravitated to his home, he provided snacks for them. He let them help him care for the plants. As they worked together, he taught them about life and about the Lord.  

Oh, may we build lots of stepping-stones for others, as that good man did!