Thursday; April 3

One of the earliest “parables” I remember is one my dad (the preacher) used to tell.  A little girl and her father went to a barnyard and, while looking at the critters, she asked, “Daddy, is the mule a Christian?”.  The father, confused by her question asked, “I don’t know, honey, why do you ask?”.  The little girl said, “I guess I just figured he was because he always has such a long face.”.  Now, while this story is meant to teach a lesson, I do wonder how people see Christians.  We spend so much time talking about what is wrong with our world and complain about how hard it is to be a believer, I wonder how much of an influence it is having on our children.  We fuss enough amongst ourselves that I wonder if unbelievers see any value in wanting to live the “fulfilling” life we preach to them?  I realize that life isn’t all kicks and giggles, but I do believe we miss out on way too many times to laugh and smile.  

Years ago, the wise man of the Old Testament advocated wisdom in balance when he wrote that there was “A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).  Let’s be somber when we should be, but let’s never miss a chance to enjoy some lightheartedness.  When we do, it will make those difficult times a lot easier to endure.

Think About It!


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