{"id":1052,"date":"2011-07-05T05:06:55","date_gmt":"2011-07-05T09:06:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=1052"},"modified":"2011-06-29T20:02:54","modified_gmt":"2011-06-30T00:02:54","slug":"the-paper-clip-and-the-boat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/07\/the-paper-clip-and-the-boat.html","title":{"rendered":"The Paper Clip and the boat"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Have you ever examined a paper clip? \u00a0Though the actual inventor is disputed, it was patented by Johan Vaaler. \u00a0He was an inventor who was struggling with the big problems of the patent office where he worked. \u00a0One of the large problems facing Vaaler was how he could organize all the papers with which he had to work and file.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Johan Vaaler Patent<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The story is told that one day, sitting at his desk he found a piece of straight wire. \u00a0He started to bend it.\u00a0 Then he realized that it could be used to help papers stay together when he bent it in a certain way.\u00a0 It was strong and it would work.\u00a0 This inventor learned that sometimes it is the little things that bring us success and make us very successful.<\/p>\n

The disciples also learned simple things, like obedience, are important to the Lord. \u00a0In Luke 5:1-11, we find that as Jesus was teaching, the crowd of people pressed toward him. \u00a0Jesus wanted to get away from the press of the crowd. \u00a0He got into a boat that was anchored on the shore. \u00a0After he was finished teaching, Jesus told the boat owner\u2013who was Simon\u2013to go into the deep part of the lake and fish.<\/p>\n

Peter, James and John had worked all night and caught no fish but they obeyed. \u00a0They caught so many fish that it filled two boats.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus told them that from that time, they would still be fishermen but they would catch men\u2013not fish. \u00a0They would be fishers of men.<\/p>\n

They were learning that obedience must be in the little things. \u00a0They needed to allow Jesus to use our stuff. \u00a0They also found that it was wisdom to go fishing \u00a0when he told them to do it.<\/p>\n

As a child, there was a question that was asked often by leaders in my church, \u00a0\u201cWhat if the communists came and took over our church? \u00a0Would you deny Jesus?\u201d \u00a0I was terrified that I could not stand for Jesus.<\/p>\n

As an adult, I found that it was the little things that made me stumble. \u00a0It wasn\u2019t the big things like denying Jesus when times were tough.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Imagine, \u00a0all of the law of God can be wrapped up in 10 simple sentences\u2013the 10 commandments. \u00a0\u00a0I wanted to do big things for the Lord; but God required me to live a simple life.<\/p>\n

My gut told me that my life would count for God<\/strong>. \u00a0I was right and my life does count for God; but only when I obey the Lord in the simple things. \u00a0What are some of the things that God wants from me?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Don\u2019t cause confusion at work or at home because of my bad attitude.<\/li>\n
  2. Do the best you can in all my work.<\/li>\n
  3. Be kind and considerate of other people, even if I don’t feel like them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Obedience gives us success with God and a confidence that He will give me strength when it is needed. \u00a0I can get answers to the simple things of life. \u00a0I can even be assured of strength to stand for what is right should an enemy come and wants to harm me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Have you ever examined a paper clip? \u00a0Though the actual inventor is disputed, it was patented by Johan Vaaler. \u00a0He was an inventor who was struggling with the big problems of the patent office where he worked. \u00a0One of the large problems facing Vaaler was how he could organize all the papers with which he…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,182,40,49,11,8,12,4,41],"tags":[198,21,688,696,7,699,715,701,13,694,19,689,692,6,700],"class_list":["post-1052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-disability","category-faith","category-inspiration","category-intellectually-disabled","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-religion","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-10-commandments","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disabilities","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mental-retardation","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-religion","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Paper Clip and the boat - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/07\/the-paper-clip-and-the-boat.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Paper Clip and the boat - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you ever examined a paper clip? \u00a0Though the actual inventor is disputed, it was patented by Johan Vaaler. \u00a0He was an inventor who was struggling with the big problems of the patent office where he worked. \u00a0One of the large problems facing Vaaler was how he could organize all the papers with which he…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/07\/the-paper-clip-and-the-boat.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-07-05T09:06:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-06-30T00:02:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2011\/06\/paperclip.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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