The Life of the Carnival

Things at the carnival had just gotten started.  The concession stand was just beginning to make their first sales of cotton candy and Sno-cones.  The Ferris Wheel had only loaded a handful of passengers.  My family and I were still in line for our first thrill ride of the night.  All was off to a lovely start.
 
And then suddenly, something weird happened.  Everything came to a sudden halt.  The ride in front of us stopped.  The food vendors stopped prepping food.  The lights on the Fun House went dark.  I looked over and could see the ride attendants scrambling to converse with each other.  It was apparent what had happened.  Everything had lost electrical power. 
 
So, here we all were.  Everything was set up.  Everyone was ready.  Everything had the potential to be amazing.  But we all had a harsh reminder that if this was going to go anywhere, the power to make it happen needed to be present and flowing.
 

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Some of us are good at setting up 'carnivals'.  We know how to set the scene.  We know how to put the right people in place.  We have the vision of what things should look like, smell like, sound like, and feel like to make for an amazing time.  But there is one thing we must remember.  A carnival is only a carnival when the invisible Power is present and flowing.  If it's not, all you have is the potential for something great.

 

The Holy Spirit is that Power.  He is the One that takes what our little hands have set up and brings them to Life.  He is the One that lights up the 'fun house'.  He is the One that gets the 'thrill rides' moving.  He is the One that generates the heat under the Food so that the people can eat it.

 

Are there 'carnivals' in your life that are all set up but have lost Power?  Or, are you setting up a 'carnival' right now that you hope will attract people to come and enjoy themselves?  If so, remember this:  We are co-workers with the Master Carnival Maker.  We may plant.  We may water.  But it is God that makes it all grow.  It is God that brings all 'carnivals' to Life.  No 'carnival' is alive without Him present and flowing. 

 

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Fortunately, the carnival we were at that night didn't lose power forever.  When they realized the problem, they got reconnected and things were up and moving again pretty quickly.  And, God is available and happy to get our 'carnivals' up and moving, too!