Archive for the ‘Parable’ Category

A Parable

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Once upon a time there was a man, a man who was very happy but also unhappy . . . he was happy because God gave him a very good job and his family had many, many things. He was a good thing-maker. But he was unhappy because he did not spend very much time with his children. To others they were ordinary children. But to the man they were very special. He was happiest when he spent time with them. He, however, was busy making money so they could have things, things, things. And, I guess they were happy with things, things, things. He wanted to be with them . . . but he had no time, time, time. Only things, things, things. In time the man grew happy with things and forgot about time. Being a good thing-maker made him feel important. One day a very bad thing happened to the man. He lost his thing-making-ability. With no money to buy things he suddenly had more time. More time, time, time. More time than he wanted. And truthfully he missed all the things, things, things. So did his children. They liked standing in the Gap. Now they stood in the Army! One day, when the man was feeling sorry for himself he saw his son draw a butterfly. He had never seen a butterfly that his son drew. The next day he heard his daughter crying because she could not do her math. The man helped her and she stopped crying. The man was amazed. On the third day, his other son asked him what “maudlin” meant. He did not know but he liked being asked. And on the same day he took a splinter out of his daughter’s finger. He had not seen a butterfly, or helped with a math problem, or held his daughter when she cried. He had always answered every question his kids asked him because people who are thing-providers must know everything or pretend to know everything. But people who have time, time, time do not have to pretend anymore. He had never had time for splinters, or paper air planes, or math problems, or anything else. Because he was too busy doing his thing- making. Suddenly. . . he liked it. He liked having time. He missed the things sometime. But he liked the time more. Soon he wanted to have more time with more children. And a nice man let him work for him and enjoy time and thing-making! He had time with lots more children. And the man was very, very, happy!