Taking Offence - Doug Gaines

     I am but a simple man who has spent much time in contemplation on various topics, of which I have three questions for you to contemplate yourselves.

1. How often are you offended by someone or something?

2. How often are you angered by someone or something?

And ... 

3. How often have you shown grace to someone or exhibited grace in a “sticky” situation you have found yourself in?

     Our reaction to people or situations that are offensive by nature or that can cause us to get angry can tell us volumes about ourselves. For simpler discussion purposes I will refer to our reactions as “attitudes.” I believe these three “attitudes” go hand in hand. Offense and anger are many times found together and are both almost always mutually exclusive of grace. I will attempt to show just what I mean.

The offense I am referring to at this time is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “something that outrages the moral or physical senses” and “the state of being insulted or morally outraged.” 

     Anger is defined as...well Webster’s couldn't define anger without using a form of the word itself, so I’m using synonyms to define it - to enrage, infuriate, rankle. Before we go much further, I’m going to remove “righteous anger” from the picture. That is another essay in and of itself. The grace I am referring to includes, but is not limited to; the disposition to, or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency [to the “undeserved”]. This is an image of the grace God bestows upon us.

     What offends you? Are you offended when someone doesn't smell good? Are you offended when someone plays music you don’t like? Are you offended when someone teases you? How do you react to these offenses? Let’s say you are offended in these cases. Let’s say that you ask them to clean up or stop what they are doing. They don’t; so what happens next? Do you get angry? I liken anger to the next step beyond offense. In Matthew 5:29-30 Christ tells us if our hand or eye offends us to remove them. Christ used a more descriptive method for the removal than I. By rights we should all be cripples if we were to take this literally. I believe what Christ was telling us that we should strive towards not letting ourselves be offended. I believe Christ “allowed” us being slow to take offense (or anger) because of the hardness of our hearts. My Father used to say, “Don’t be offended.” 

     What makes you angry? Do you get angry when someone cuts you off on the highway? Do you get angry after someone offends you and won’t apologize? Do you get angry when a sibling breaks something that belonged to you? Do you get angry if your drawer doesn't have any clean socks in it? Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:26 (a) not to let the sun go down on our anger and (b) not to sin when we are angry. From experience; if I am angry when I go to bed, I simply cannot sleep. That makes for a very long night, because I like my sleep. I think Paul understood very well what anger could do to your physical health as well as your attitude. I have to say as well, that when I get angry, I believe I always sin. I personally believe we as fallen humans cannot get angry without sinning. We have to remember that sin is not just what we physically do (commission) or don’t do (omission), but it is also our thought life. Let’s say someone makes you angry; you don’t do anything about it, but you have a thought; “I’d like to do ________ and let him know what I think, but I won’t.” Wasn't that thought sinful? My Father used to make a point about anger and how it can affect. He would say, in a loud voice; “I AM NOT ANGRY” and pound his fist on the table. We can say what we like, but oftentimes our reaction betrays us anyway.

     Oftentimes the Bible uses offense and anger together and sometimes they seem to be interchangeable. Proverbs 19:11 says, “Good sense [wisdom] makes one slow to anger, and it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” Unfortunately some people seem to thrive on being offended and are even apt to say or do something to elicit an offense. The attitudes of offense and anger can have some very negative effects upon us and those around us. As a man, I have been striving (with the express aid of the Holy Spirit) to put aside my tendency towards offense and anger. Of late, I have found that I am more apt to be offended than become angry, but my anger is more volatile. The anger however usually stems from an offense; and this usually stems from selfish expectations.

     I believe if we can focus on Christ and God’s Grace, then we can curb most of our offenses and anger. Remember Christ endured many offenses (without being offended) on our behalf. Romans 6:14 says “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.” I believe God is not only 100% truth (another essay topic), but also 100% grace. Those who have received God’s gift of grace need to strive to show or exhibit that same type of grace to those around them. Next time someone snaps at you, find out if they’re having a bad day. Maybe they need to be cheered up. Next time someone plays music you don’t like, strike up a conversation with them and try to introduce them to your type of music. The next time someone cuts you off on the road: instead of yelling at them, say a prayer for their safety. Use these times to show grace to others instead of being offended. The next time something of yours gets broken; instead of getting angry, realize that life is short and “things” are not what is important in God’s eyes. The next time your sock drawer is empty; maybe you could ask if you can help do the laundry (strive to be a servant) instead of getting angry. We need to overlook the offenses of others so they may see in us the love of God. We need to learn to be gracious and show grace to those around us who seem they don’t deserve it; because ultimately we don’t deserve it either.

     Mr. Doug Gaines 

Image by Leaping Lizard

Thanksgiving

“We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds” --Psalm 75:1

     Pilgrims, Indians, and turkey. Can you tell what I am thinking of? If you guessed Thanksgiving, then you are right! By mid-October, everyone is thinking, “Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up! I need to start shopping!” But is shopping, funny hats, trees and all the food you can eat all that this time of year really means to everyone? Well, it shouldn't.  Yes, they can be some of the most fun days of the year, but today we need to understand that the real point of Thanksgiving was not to do all of those things, but to enjoy a day of thanking God for everything that we, and the settlers, were blessed with.

     Everyone knows why the original pilgrims came to America, right? They came in hope of freedom and a better life. Well, not exactly. It goes a little more in depth than that. Originally, people in the Netherlands, Ireland, and Britain were being forced by their governments to believe in one religion: Christianity. That doesn't sound all too bad, does it? Wrong again. They had to believe, while being persecuted, in the tenets of the denomination of Christianity that their governments saw fit: in Britain, Anglican. The Irish were forced by England to practice the Anglican version of Christianity, and on the Netherlands only the Protestant tenets were acknowledged. Now, I don’t know if all of you know, but in this period of time, there was no separation of church and state. Some governments ruled over the church, and some churches ruled over the governments. It doesn't sound so great now, does it? Well, it came to be that the main reason the pilgrims came to America was to escape religious oppression so that they could practice their beliefs without living in constant fear of being tortured or killed. And just as a side note, they did this without their kings, queens, or governors knowing why they truly wanted away from their homelands. Very sneaky people. I think, if any of them had a verse from the Bible running through their minds when they saw the eastern coast, it would be Hebrews 12: 28-29: “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”

     I know there might be some people who read this and say that it has nothing to do with them at all. But, in all actuality, all of it has to do with everything we have today. Without the pilgrims coming over, we could still be subjected to what was around during their period of living. Also, there would be no separation of church and state, and most places that have religious freedom as a right would not have that right. Last, but certainly not least, we would have nothing, nor would we be alive, if it were not for God. If God did not exist, we would have nothing, we would be nothing. Thanksgiving is a day that should be spent thanking God for every waking moment we have, and for everything in our lives. Yes, it is amazing to spend it with your family, pile pounds of food down your throat, and watch football with your dad, but you should still thank the One who created everything you are blessed with. I feel this passage is very appropriate to help me drive my point home: “We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 75:1).

     Thanksgiving Day is a time to reflect and be thankful for all that God has given us. Let us not only be thankful one day a year, but celebrate the greatness of our God with thanks every day!

Psalm 95: 1-7: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”

     Haron

Image by Leaping Lizard

CollegePlus: An Alternative For Traditional College

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."

Proverbs 16:9 (KJV)

     "I want to go to college." The thought of going to college after high school has probably come to the minds of most high school students in America. Which college to attend, which courses to take, how much college will cost, how to manage busy college schedules, and so on can be much to think about before making a decision regarding college.

      The sad reality of college is, even though many people go into college with high hopes and great anticipation, many come out with depression, a sense of hopelessness, and a lifestyle that's even worse than what they had before attending. Being thousands of dollars in debt, having habits such as drinking, smoking, and immoral sexual activity, etc., and having a career that's not even within their degree description are things that could happen -- and have happened -- to college students and graduates.

      The alternative to this could be a long distance learning program called CollegePlus. Students enrolled in CollegePlus have the benefit of earning a fully accredited bachelor's degree with tremendous flexibility for a fraction of the time and money paid in traditional college. Because CollegePlus degrees are fully regionally accredited, graduates confidently enter the work force or go on to the graduate school of their choice. This option cuts out years of time and thousands of dollars.

      CollegePlus combines high school and college to avoid wasting time and duplication. Here are some of the benefits of this program:

1.  Perspective:  It takes a decidedly different approach from traditional colleges to obtaining a degree in that they see as a means to an end, and not an end in itself.

2.  Family Influence:  Since these studies are completed nearly at home, the major influence comes from within the context of the home and family. As topics are studied and tests are prepared for, the student has the opportunity to discuss material with their parents and their CollgePlus coach.

3.  Mentor Influence:  Our Founding Fathers' educations were in the context of individualized mentoring and apprenticeship. Students have access to a personalized degree program and a Christian coach who will assist them and their parents through every step.

4.  Time:  To obtain a regionally accredited bachelor's degree (the highest accreditation attainable in the U.S.) in two years is well within the realm of possibility. Some students even complete their entire degree before graduating from high school.  A student who takes this route can gain valuable workplace experience through internships with the two years that their peers are still spending in school.

5.  Cost:  Utilizing distance learning methods and credit-by-examination techniques, CollegePlus! puts the total cost of a college degree at less than $15,000 with just few exceptions, saving families between $25,000 and $90,000 on tuition.

     Although many of you have probably heard of CollegePlus, let this be a reminder that this is out there and it's open for you to enroll and get started. And for those of you who haven't heard of it, or maybe have, but don't know much about it, this definitely is an eye opener that can introduce you to a better way of college education.

      You can go to their website - www.collegeplus.org - for more information. Whatever career God has destined for you, CollegePlus can help you get there. Good luck and God bless your college decisions.

     Haiku

Sources: www.collegeplus.org

CollegePlus, and the CollegePlus logo copyright 2012 CollegePlus SM

Editor's note:
CollegePlus is a great program, and I and several other writers on staff use or plan to use it for getting our accredited Bachelors Degrees "Faster, For Less, For Sure." 

Please note:
-CollegePlus does not condemn or condone this article.
-CollegePlus is not a college, it is a coaching service.
-CollegePlus has its limitations in fields that require hands on experience, such as engineering, theater, seminary, etc. (though I have seen people get degrees in these fields through CollegePlus). Please make sure you have researched all possibilities before deciding to spend thousands of dollars on anything, or even if a college degree is necessary for what God has planned in your life.

Setting the Example by Doing Hard Things

 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity,”

1 Timothy 4:12

     Most people don't expect you to understand what we're going to tell you in this book. And even if you understand, they don't expect you to care. And even if you care, they don't expect you to do anything about it. And even if you do something about it, they don't expect it to last. Well, we do.¹ That’s what writers Alex and Brett say about the new movement reaching the world. They call it the Rebelution. God calls it “setting the example.” Both call youths to do hard things for the glory of God.

     Modern thought has wrought a great disease upon society. It’s called “low expectations.” It wants teens to think that they don’t have a duty or job – or a future to prepare for. They can just coast by without making any effort for excellence. Their choices today won’t have a detrimental (or beneficial) influence on the circumstance of tomorrow. They can party, play, and squander their life while just doing the bare minimum to survive – not thrive.

     The Harris brothers, in their book Do Hard Things ², relate this to the taming of an elephant ³. While it is just and infant, the elephant is chained to a tree by his right hind leg. Desperately trying to escape, the elephant yanks and pulls against the chain, wanting to be free. All that is accomplished is a painful gash in his leg. While he is young and weak, the shackles are strongest; when he – by his instincts – feels ready to break free, then is he held tight. As he grows older, he knows that a string around his hind right leg, whether it be iron or twine, will always keep him from reaching freedom. When an adult, the chain is replaced by that piece of twine, and the tree is replaced by a wooden peg in the ground. He never knows the change, so he never attempts to escape. The same is true for us: we’re held captive by a myth.

     But that’s all it is – a myth. Enter, the Myth of Adolescence. In fact, the term “teenager” didn’t come on stage until a 1941 issue of the Reader’s Digest. The myth is that youths can’t do anything for God and shouldn’t have to exceed their comfort zone or contribute to their family’s workload, much less society. They are subject to the fads, belligerence, and crimes of the world. They are perceived to be adults, but expected to act and think like children. Today’s youths are imposed upon that they can be nothing but unproductive trendsetters, or “kidults.”

     Where is hope? Where is there light to challenge young men and women to pursue excellence? The answers are found in the Bible. God says in 1 Timothy 4 to not “let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity,”⁴ and to “watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”⁵ As for the Myth that shackles us to unproductive mediocrity, he says in 1 Corinthians, “When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me…Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.”⁶

     In fact, time and time again, these tried and true scriptures have exploded into lives of true success. My favorite examples are those of George Washington, David Farragut, and Clara Barton. Each of these American heroes are known for their brave and honorable deeds as adults yet wouldn't have epitomized the ideals they represent today if they hadn't had a youth to prepare for their adulthood. The first president of the United States wouldn't have been just that if he hadn't been faithful as a surveyor. The young American sea captain would not have been able to manage an unruly commander if he hadn't worked hard as a midshipman. The founder of the American Red Cross wouldn't have been able to save millions of lives if she hadn't overcome her nausea at the sight of blood.

     Grasp the gravity of these illustrations: you will only grow up to be the person that you work to become. These young men and woman weren't great examples as kids because they were going to be great leaders as adults; it’s the other way around. So many don’t understand that their teen years are such a gift: a time to prepare for the future – they settle in for the fun only to be in for a shock when their adulthood is here. So many adults don’t have the strength to manage stress when their jobs and occupations generate it because they didn't stretch the emotional muscles in their youth. Take the extra steps throughout your day now, because a few years from now, they’ll be worth it. Paul tells Timothy to avoid the laziness and perversion of the world and to “flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”⁷

            Justin Gummi

¹ Do Hard Things, Alex and Brett Harris

² Multnomah Press, ©2008

³ Do Hard Things, Alex and Brett Harris

⁴ 1 Tim. 4:12, 16; NIV 1984

⁵ 1 Tim. 4:16; Ibid.

⁶ 1 Cor. 13:11; 14:20; Ibid.

⁷ 1 Tim. 6:11-12; Ibid.

Image by Leaping Lizard

Contentment

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Philippians 4:11b-12

     The daily grind, everybody has one: kids, adults, high schoolers and working dads – every day starts, moves and ends in almost the same way. We have the same chores, jobs, unpleasantness and mundane tasks every day. This gives us a choice: what do we focus on? Do we focus on the daily boring routine and the unpleasantness of changing a diaper? Or do we focus on the little gifts every day is filled with: the blessings of your day, the ability to do those routines, the joy that the little child brings? Every day we make that choice and our attitudes and actions are a direct result of that choice, and they have direct repercussions on those around us.

     What is there to be content in? We live in a fallen world. Sin, depravity and unpleasantness surround us, even in our families. People lie, steal, hurt our bodies and our feelings, gossip and are just generally not nice. On the same token our surroundings might be not that great as well: it rains, you get sick, your computer crashes, the dog tears up your favorite pair of shoes, and life just generally conspires to bring you down. But what is the common factor in all of these negative circumstances? They are earthly and temporal. Your favorite pair of shoes will not go to heaven with you nor will the feelings that come with an unkind comment. Augustine has a great quote based off Matthew 6:21: “Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart; where your heart is, there is our happiness.” If your heart is with your computer, then of course your happiness will be gone with it. Our focus, our treasure, needs to be in heaven. If our happiness is with our heart, and our heart is with our treasure, then our treasure needs to be in a place that will give our heart eternal satisfaction. When our treasure is in heaven, "every good and perfect gift" can be more easily seen. When we begin to focus on the joy of serving, the blessing of health and the love of Christ, everything — every negative, unpleasant and mundane thing — merely serves to highlight our blessings in other areas of life.

     The negative, mundane and unpleasant do serve a purpose. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4). Not only are we to be content through our trials, but we are to consider it “pure joy” when we are confronted with suffering, temptation and trials. God has blessed us with the ability to grow through the storms of life, and for that we should be grateful.

     One of my favorite passages when I feel I have a need is Philippians 4:11-13 and 19; “I can do everything through him who gives me strength. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Every need will be filled, and all things can be done through Christ. Our omnipotent God in heaven has given us the ability to be content in any and every situation. The song As Long As You Are Glorified points us right where we need to be. In the chorus the writer says; “In Your love I will abide/I long for nothing else as long/As You are glorified.” Throughout the song the writer puts extremes of blessing and hardship in comparison, and concludes that our circumstances don’t matter as long as Christ is glorified.

    Being content is independent of our circumstances; it is a heart attitude that comes from focusing on Christ. Honoring Him with our actions brings meaning to our trials and temptation and gives us the ability to focus on something beyond ourselves — allowing us to put our treasure, heart, and happiness beyond ourselves in a place where “no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”

     Leaping Lizard

“As Long as you are glorified;” Mark Altrogge; http://thechurchupthestreet.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/as_long_as_you_are_glorified_chords.pdf

Image by Leaping Lizard

Preparing for Hardships

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."   James 1:2

            With a performance rapidly approaching for our home school’s drama group, I thought it would be helpful for me to focus on and encourage them with my article for this month. This week, I will be addressing the topic of common (and not so common) trials and hardships that we--in groups or alone--must face throughout our lives.

            I thought an excellent verse to start to help me explain the importance of trusting God in times of hardships would be James 1:2. For those who are reading this and are not familiar with this verse, I encourage you to stop reading and look it up. For those who aren’t up to opening their Bibles at this moment, here it is: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” This verse, I believe, is very inspiring because of the message it relays. If you are steadfast in your belief and trust of God and trust that He will help you if you ask, you will receive peace of mind and joy in what you do.

            If you were to see me right now, you would see a person, no more special than anyone else in the world, sitting alone in his room, struggling day to day with the same problem he is writing an article about, of helping people trust in God in times of suffering, which anyone and everyone can read. Just as I am dealing with this problem, lots of other people are, too. I know some of you out there reading this might not want to continue after I have just admitted that I am not a perfect Christian and struggle with trusting God all the time. But I do encourage you to keep going because I know, as well as you might, that some of the most devout Christians have had issues trusting God, too. I am thankful to be blessed in life to have a very amazing mom in my life to help guide me through studying the Bible. In fact, she was the first person to tell me that everyone who is human will have times in their life where they will distrust God. That gave me the drive and hope that I needed to find Truth.

            This leads me to the second verse I chose to help explain to you why it is best to trust in God. Those of you who are familiar with this passage, I hope, will agree with me that this verse is very amazing news to us all. Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” When I read this, I feel it says, “The trials you are to come upon and stumble through in this life are not to be more important that the glory of God you will experience in Heaven.” To me, this is astonishing to hear. Knowing that the hardships I’ve been through, the ones I have yet to encounter in life, and seeing the trials and tribulations of others are not worth the comparison to the glory to come only makes my faith stronger and more steadfast.

            I am nearing the end of my time to share my hope of helping and encouraging you all to trust in God in your times of suffering and tribulations, and I want to personally address my new brothers and sisters who are preforming this weekend. If any of you are having troubles in your practicing and are fearful or feel anything of the like, take a minute to pray right now and ask God to be there next to you, guiding you through your acting. And for everyone else who just so happens to read this, I hope you take this message to heart and do your own reading and scriptural research on this topic. I believe the wisdom and insight that the Bible will give you on trusting God will be more powerful and something to trust more than what anyone else can tell you.

            I want to thank all of you who have come onto our blog and read and support our other bloggers and their articles. It is really amazing and encouraging to not only me but to all of us to see how many people come onto our site to read our articles and the comments you guys (and girls) have left us. With that being said, I would like to leave all of you with this verse from Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Thanks to all of you giving your time, and have a blessed day! (And good luck to those of you preforming this weekend!)

     Haron

Image by The Comma Queen

Parables—Earthly Stories with a Heavenly Meaning

"With many such parables He spoke the word to them . . ." 

Mark 4:33 

What is a parable? A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Jesus used over 40 parables in the Bible.

Why did Jesus teach in parables? Three reasons. Firstly, He spoke in parables to judge unbelievers. "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them," Jesus explains to His disciples in Matthew 13:11-13. "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand."

Secondly, to fulfill Old Testament prophesy. Jesus repeats the Isaiah 6:9-10 prophesy,

You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them,

which was not only fulfilled during Isaiah's time when God was fed up with Israel's immorality, but was also re-fulfilled by Jesus Himself.

Thirdly, to bless those who, by the grace of God, believe in Him. The reason Jesus' parables are a blessing to us who have been granted to see and hear is because they stick in our minds and are highly motivational. If I were to mention, "Parable of the lost sheep, sower who went out to sow, prodigal son," right away you know exactly the stories and messages behind those parables.

We are finite beings who easily and often forget what we have been taught. But His parables help us grasps His teachings, relate to the symbolism, and implant the messages in our memory through practical everyday examples, such as fishing (Matthew13:47-50), shepherds (John10:1-18), and vineyards (Matthew20:1-16).

"It has been said that a parable is an earthy story with a heavenly meaning. The Lord Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustration profound, divine truths. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters bold, and the symbolism rich in meaning."1

Below is a parable I wrote in the style of Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree." Its purpose is merely to bless believers through symbolizing Christian life, relying on God, and praising Him, always knowing He has a plan in everything.

The Planter’s Bulb

Once there was a bulb. 

And the bulb was dry and brown and ugly. 

And the bulb was in a box with lots of other dry, brown, ugly bulbs. 

And the bulb could do nothing but sit in the box

And be dry and brown and ugly with other bulbs. 

Until one day. 

That day, the Planter picked the bulb out of the box of other bulbs,

And spent His own money to buy that dry, brown, ugly bulb. 

Then the bulb was caringly planted by the Planter. 

And the bulb loved the Planter very much for choosing it planting it. 

            The bulb wanted to show its love and thanks to the Planter,

But it couldn’t. 

It tried and strained and pushed and struggled to grow,

But just couldn’t. 

So the bulb called out to the Planter.
—“Planter, I was nothing when I was in the box, and I would still be in that box, without You.  You came and chose me and planted me, but I can still do nothing without You.”

            And the Planter came and watered the bulb. 

And the bulb thanked the Planter and grew roots. 

            But the bulb wanted to do more for the Planter than just grow roots that were hidden under the earth. 

So the bulb tried, and strained, and pushed from the bottom of its roots. 

But still nothing happened. 

And again the bulb called out to the Planter for help. 

            But the Planter said:

—“Just wait.”

            So the bulb waited. 

And spring came. 

And the bulb tried, and strained, and pushed from the bottom of its roots.

And something happened. 

            A little sprout happened. 

            First it was just an itty-bitty sprout peeking above the soil,

Then the sprout grew into a little green finger,

Then the finger grew into leaves and a stem,

Then the stem bulged at the top,

Then the bulge turned into a blossom, then the blossom unfolded into a flower. 

And all the people marveled at the bulb and its flower;

And little girls sniffed the flower;

And bees and butterflies drank the flower’s nectar;

And the bulb glorified the Planter. 

            So each spring, the bulb would grow a flower to show its appreciation to the Planter. 

And its flower would silently sing praise by its refulgent petals and fragrant aroma through the spring,

Until the Planter would come and pick the flower from the bulb. 

But the bulb didn’t mind. 

The flower was the bulb’s praise offering to the Planter;

So the Planter may take my flower if he wishes, thought the bulb. 

And the bulb always grew a new flower for the Planter next spring.

            But one late spring day, the Planter did not come and pick the bulb’s flower. 

And the bulb waited. 

And waited. 

And the Planter did not come. 

But the scorching heat of summer came. 

And the flower began to die. 

The petals fell off,

And the aroma faded away,

And a deformed bulge appeared where the blossom used to be,

And the leaves began to shrivel up,

And the stem grew weak and began to bend. 

And it became dry and brown and ugly.

            The people no longer marveled at the flower’s beauty but looked down on it,

And little girls laughed and pointed at it. 

And the bulb was distraught.  

So the bulb cried out to the Planter.

—“Each spring I give you a beautiful flower, and You collect it from me.  But now you have rejected me.  Why did You let my flower become like this?  How could you do this to me?!” 

And the Planter did not answer.

And the bulb did not love the Planter anymore. 

            Then the Planter spoke to the bulb. 

—“Have you forgotten, I chose you—a dry, brown, ugly bulb—out of a box of other bulbs, and I bought you and planted you and watered you.  And though you do not love me, I still love you all the same, and I know what I am doing.  Why are you questioning Me?”

            And the bulb was ashamed. 

            Then something happened. 

            The deformed bulge—where the blossom used to be—cracked open,

And inside were lots of tiny, black seeds. 

And a breeze blew and swept up the seeds and scattered them all around the bulb. 

            And the next spring, all around the bulb, tiny little sprouts stuck their green heads up. 

First they were just itty-bitty sprouts peeking above the soil,

Then the sprouts grew into little green fingers,

Then the fingers grew into leaves and stems,

Then the stems bulged at the top, then the bulges turned into a blossoms,

Then the blossoms unfolded into flowers, all around the bulb.

            The bulb was sorry that it had ever stopped loving the Planter,

And it was sorry that it had questioned the Planter,

For the Planter had a purpose in everything. 

And that spring,

The bulb grew the most beautiful flower that it had ever grown for the Planter.

And the bulb praised the Planter from the bottom of its roots. 

Dedicated to Him,

Klipsie

Sources:

1. http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-parables.html 

Special thanks to my pastor.
Here is a list of parables Jesus taught.  There are also some metaphors mixed in with the list. http://www.lifeofchrist.com/teachings/parables/default.asp 

Image from hgtv.com