God's searching for an Old Tin Can

Old tin can

There are those beautiful moments when I cooperate with the Holy Spirit and the light goes on! He'll open my memory to allow me to see how he was present and operating in my life even as a child and those seeds planted then were to become important life lessons for today. here's one of them...

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As a boy growing up in Trinidad, I would hardly ever take the shortest, most direct route home from school; I always took the most adventurous one and that often led me off the paved path to dirt tracks and streams in which stepping stones were placed to help passers to cross. These stones would create small pools by forming a dam and in that pool I could see beautiful tropical fish of all colors swimming around. Off course I wanted them for my aquarium and had to have them. Now I had jars and nets at home that I could fetch and return but I wanted THESE fish that I saw NOW so I would invariably look around for some discarded old can to scoop them up and bring them home. Even if the old tin can was rusty and had a hole or two it could still work. Brought home lot's of fish that way.

I once told that story of my childhood to a men's prayer fellowship I belonged to and I was surprised at the reaction (although in retrospect I shouldn't have been). I was saying to them that whatever I did in ministry, whatever I accomplished had little to do with me and all to do with God. He was the one crossing the stream and wanting all the pretty fish to take them home. And I? Well I happen to be the rusty can with a hole or two that would still work in God's plan! Oh, I understand that I too was (am) one of the fish that God desired and I constantly praise and thank Him for his gift of salvation. We are blessed indeed to be both the object of God's desire and his instrument of bringing others to Him.

I guess I offended some people with that analogy though. One guy got in my face and assured me that he "was no old rusty tin can!" I don't know if it was the 'old' or 'rusty' or 'tin' that threw him off but I was saddened that he never saw himself as God's vessel or instrument but only as God's object of desire. Or maybe I am just being naive. What do you think?

Rusty can or pretty fish or fisher of men?
Wind instrument or Breath that makes the music?
Sinner or Savior?

Which are you? Peace.