Life is a LEGO Set: A Sermon

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Yesterday we gathered to hear PM give his 8th grade sermon. One of the best things that come from these moments are the insights into a student's passions outside of school. Furthermore, you realize how closely meshed those passions are with the life they live at school.

PM's sermon, which you can read below, is an example of that type of personal sharing which enables all of us to examine our own approach to life. How great is it that this is a place where14 year olds can paint such a vivid picture and challenge us to be better?



LIFE IS A LEGO SET
A sermon by PBM

Before I begin this sermon I would like to tell you little about myself.
I have been at Canterbury since kindergarten and I have enjoyed being taught by all of my teachers. Some of my hobbies consist of basketball, baseball, remote controlled helicopters, and Legos.

All of my hobbies have been around since I was young but Legos have been a huge part of my life since I was four years old. Ever since I got your basic Lego box with the basic colors I have been fascinated by how all these little tiny pieces could join together any way you wanted to make something extraordinary.
 
As I got older I received much larger and intricate sets providing more of a challenge. Legos have provided me with a great sense creativity in the way of building well… what ever I thought of.

Creativity. What is that really?
 
It means inventive. Imaginative.  Visionary.  Original.  And in life creativity means you do things differently.  For example, when it was snowing, 15 degrees, and everyone else was sitting by the fire sipping hot chocolate or in their nice, warm comfy beds… my friend PS and I -- on the other hand --decided to camp outside.  Although it wasn’t one of our brightest OR warmest ideas, we made the most of a cold, snowy night. 
 
Legos have also taught me patience, because in life when you get frustrated it’s important to have patience.  Many times have I gotten frustrated with legos when I couldn’t find a certain piece and then it ended up being right in front of me.

In life, certain situations require patience such as school and sports. In school if you get a bad grade you can’t change it over night. You have to work at it every day up to the next report card to try and bring up your grade.
 
When I was young and playing baseball at Pleasant Garden, I remember I learned how to catch, throw and hit a baseball off the tee. But I could never seem to hit the ball when the coach threw it.
Being little, I got frustrated easily.  But my Dad had the alternative solution. We would go to the batting cage until I got it. “AND WE WENT A LOT.” What little patience I had did pay off.   So, of course, ….did growing 18 inches.
 
When I was 11 I received the largest Lego set I had ever gotten from my Grandmother. When I unwrapped it on Christmas morning both of my parents said, “That is going to take you days to complete.” When they said that I had sudden determination to build it as soon as possible. The day after that Christmas was Sunday so I went to church and after that I went straight up to my room and worked on that Lego set for a solid three and a half hours until it was finished. 
 
In life it’s important to have determination because when you want something done you need determination to drive you forward. If you are a businessperson who comes up with an idea to help your company, for example,  you need determination to drive you forward in doing the work to make that happen.

So, in short, LIFE IS LIKE A LEGO SET. You need creativity, patience and determination to build it. Use creativity to be imaginative, patience when things are not going your way, and determination to push you forward to your goals.
 
So how is all of this tying back to my relationship with God.  God has made us our own Lego set. It’s up to us to create ourselves in our own unique way.   At birth, God gives us the first pieces. Throughout life, as we build our LEGO sets they get more complicated just like life. To guide us through our lives I always thought of God as the Direction Book.  It told me how to build my life.  It gave me a sense of direction guiding me to build the right thing.  
 
So when you leave this chapel today ask yourself: 

How is your life like a Lego set?
Do you know what your building?
Are you following your instruction book and are you employing creativity, patience and determination in building your final product?

Think About It……..

Amen