Its County Fair time here. People from all over, 4H kids, crafters, vendors, concessions et.al. have filled the fair grounds and until Sunday night, will be competing and selling their wares. Many people mark fair time with some specifics, fair food, carnival rides and the rodeo. I didn't get involved with the fair until we had children and can only remember going to the fair once when I was a child. That was the Oregon State Fair. As our children were growing up, our daughters were involved in 4H and raised Holland Lop rabbits. They would enter baked goods and crafts as well which made fair time a bit hectic. You didn't want to bake things too early otherwise they would mold or you would have to freeze them which would not bode well if you wanted to win a ribbon. We would go to support the kids as they showed their rabbits and took care of them. I think they did the fair and 4H so they would get free passes in as they would purchase arm bands for the rides.
Anyway, we are back involved in fair activities with my wife's Avon business. She has had a booth at this fair for the last 5 years. It is a lot of work but she has connected with the community and with other vendors from here and about. She usually makes more than enough to cover the cost of her booth and then some. With early mornings and late nights, she comes home very tired.
You know, come to think of it, we did go the 1974 World Fair that was in Spokane, but that isn't anything like the county fair. These folks live near us. They farm, ranch, raise their families and livestock on pieces of ground which, in some cases, have been in the family for many years.
The fair seems to feed the need in each person to be noticed for what I have done and/or what I can do. This annual friendly competition gives rise to seeing if a person has invested time in preparation and working with their animal or craft. The honor for making the best strawberry preserves or having your animal go to grand champion is quite a feat and speaks to hard work and diligence. Or in the case of the preserves, some secret family recipe passed down through the family from great grandma.
So here we are looking at an event which will soon be over and all will have to start planning for next year. All this activity reveals something about us as humans. We like some friendly competition. We like to be noticed for what we can do and be honored for our accomplishments and hard work.
There awaits each of us an appointed time for reward. When we stand before God and the books are opened, what will God have to say about each of our accomplishments. Some would say, "I'm a good person. I've done many good things." Lets stop for a minute and think about that statement. You are good and have done things? by whose standard? You see we can justify much from our point of view but, that's not going to get us anywhere. It is God who sets the standard, not us. He set a blueprint, a plumb line for us to evaluate our position on the "goodness" scale. That of course is Jesus Christ. When you put your life next to Christ, how do you measure up? How good are you really? When we stand before God, we're not competing for ribbons but where we will spend eternity, smoking or non-smoking. With God or in the place God created for His enemies to spend eternity?
Life isn't about trying to do something to please God but accepting what He has already done for us and committing our lives to following Christ example throughout our lives. Its putting our faith and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ and letting Him live through us in attitude and action. There awaits a crown of life for those who do!!
