Category: Christian Allegory

“No, Me!”

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

As he finished helping our nearly 2 year old son get ready for bed, my husband glanced at me. “You can turn the light off now.”

“Okay,” I stepped into the hallway.

“No, me!” A little voice piped up.

I halted, my hand raised to flip the switch.

My son hurried after me, still saying, “No, me! No, me!”

“Okay, you can turn the light off, then go straight back to Daddy.”

Once he’d turned the light off, my son followed my instructions to go back to Daddy.

A couple of minutes later, with both kids in their beds, my husband and I settled down in their dimly lit room for the final steps of our bedtime routine.

I started us off on the hymn we’ve been enjoying recently.

“Jesus loves even me.”

“I am so glad that our Father in heaven
Tells of His love in the Book He has given;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see,
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.”

“I am so glad that Jesus loves me, …” 

My son’s voice piped up, “No, me!”

We continued singing despite his insistent interruption.

“Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me.”

“No, me!”

“I am so glad that Jesus loves me.

Jesus loves even me.”

When we finished the song, I turned to my son. “You’re right that Jesus loves you. He loves Mommy and Daddy and your sister too.”

How much of this explanation he understood was hard to tell, but he calmed and waited for the next part of our bedtime routine.

Why do I bring this up? Because it got me thinking.

As someone who has sung songs about God’s love and care for years, do I still take them to heart?

Do I really believe that Jesus loves me?

When I sing “Jesus loves me,” do I pause to reflect that, yes, Jesus really does love me personally, not just generically?

Do I insert my name in place of “me”? Jesus loves S. J. Little?

Sometimes the words are so familiar that I forget to reflect on their meaning. I forget to marvel at the mystery that Jesus really does love me, right now, today, just as I am.

Now, let’s be clear, my son’s words were not all helpful.

It is not “no, me.” Rather, I ought to say, “and me,” or, as the hymn says, “even me.”

When I truly grasp that Jesus loves even me, my right response is to show someone else that Jesus loves even them.

Indeed, God’s love is for everyone. As John 3:16 puts it:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” NIV

That’s a lot of love!

Today, as I take a moment to reflect on the truth that Jesus loves even me, may I respond by seeking to share that immeasurable love with someone else, because Jesus loves them too.

 


Covered Over

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

“Mommy, I want to write a list.” My daughter announced as she placed a paper on the kitchen table.

“What sort of list?” I asked.

“A list for the babysitter.”

One of her favorite games recently has been “babysitter game,” where she pretends to babysit her dolls, her little brother, or sometimes, me. This game was largely inspired by the book “Amelia Bedelia and the Baby.”

“Okay. Do you want me to write it so you can copy the words?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” I fetched a small whiteboard and a dry-erase pen. “What do you want to say on your list?”

She paused to think.

“Take bath. Go for walk. Eat snack. Make supper.”

I recorded her words on the whiteboard. “There you go. Would you like a pencil to write the list with?”

I heard the beginnings of frustration coming from my 1 year old in the living room.

“No, I’ll use a marker.”

“Okay. Have fun.”

I headed for the living room, grateful that she would be busy for a few minutes while I helped my younger child.

Several minutes later, a cry of despair erupted from the kitchen.

By this time, my husband was busy in the kitchen where my daughter sat. I heard him ask if she needed help.

Through tears, she explained that she had mixed up the lines. Her list read, “Eat snack. Make snack.”

Because she’d written it in marker, there was no way to erase it. After all that hard work copying my writing, she’d have to start all over again. 

“I have an idea,” my husband replied calmly.

He fetched a new sheet of paper, scissors, and a glue stick.

After a quick measurement of the mistaken word, he cut the paper to size and glued it over my daughter’s mistake.

She brightened instantly. “Now I can try again!”

She carefully copied the word “supper” onto the paper.

Joyfully, she hurried to the living room to show me.

“Look, Mommy. I wrote the wrong thing, but Daddy gave me a second chance.”

“Excellent,” I enthused.

The next day, my daughter approached me. “Mommy, you write a list.”

I looked up from what I was doing. “What sort of list?”

“A babysitting list, but write one thing wrong,” she said.

“Why should I write something wrong?” I asked.

“Because I’m pretending to be the mommy and you are the kid. If you write something wrong I can give you a second chance.”

“I see. Like Daddy did yesterday?”

“Yes.” She had a twinkle in her eye.

Fetching a paper and a marker, I wrote a similar list to what she had made yesterday.

  1. Read book
  2. Bath
  3. Eat snack
  4. Nap

(If she was going to be the mommy and have me pretend to be the kid, I may as well add some extra reading practice for her and a chance for me to lie down.)

Instead of writing “Bath” I wrote “Book” again.

“Oh no. I wrote the wrong thing.” I showed her my paper. “It was supposed to say ‘Bath’ here.”

“That’s okay,” she bubbled over with excitement. “I can give you another chance.”

“Thank you,” I replied, then handed her the scissors and glue.

She cut out a piece of paper and glued it over my wrong word.

“There. Now you can fix it.”

I wrote “Bath” on top of the glued on paper.

“Thank you for giving me a second chance. That’s like what Daddy did for you yesterday.”

She nodded.

I then steered the conversation to Jesus.

When I do wrong things – when I sin – He covers over my sins and lets me try again.

He can do this because He died on the cross for me. He has already paid the price for the wrongdoing.

It’s not that there are no consequences for my sins – my daughter’s list still had the obvious patch on it – but God forgives the death penalty I deserve every time I sin against Him.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 CSB

He offers me a second chance.

My job is to confess my sins and ask for His forgiveness.

If my daughter had simply hidden her list with the mistake on it, my husband would not have had the opportunity to cover over her mistake. She also had to allow him to do the gluing on of the paper. She could have resisted that.

In the coming weeks, as I celebrate Easter, I want to pause to remember and thank God for His great mercy towards us.

Through His death, He has covered over my sins and given me a second chance.

He is worthy of my praise.

No Hand

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

It was time for my kids to head towards bed. Pajamas were on, night-time snack had been eaten, and the Bible story had been read.

While my husband went ahead with our daughter, I directed our 1.5 year old son towards the stairs.

As we reached the foot of the staircase, he suddenly turned to me.

“No ‘and. No ‘and. No ‘and.”

He shook his hand at me to emphasize his point.

“Okay,” I took a step back. “You don’t have to hold my hand. That’s fine.”

He reached for the handrail, grasping the part that secures the railing to the wall. The railing itself was too high for him to use comfortably.

Using this support, he stepped onto the bottom step.

That was as far as he could go while holding that support.

He moved his hand, bracing it against the wall, and began taking the next step.

He paused. His other hand reached towards me. “Mama ‘and.”

“Okay.”

Grinning, I took his hand in mine and helped him climb the rest of the staircase. So much for “no hand.”

This wasn’t the first time he had done this. In fact, in the days leading up to my writing this account, he adamantly declared “no hand” in his one-year-old accent nearly every time we approached a flight of stairs together. Then, after taking the first step, he would reach out his little hand for me to hold as I helped him navigate the stairs.

You see, he has reached the age of wanting to be independent while not being very capable yet. He is delighted anytime I can teach him to do something on his own, such as doing the coat flip trick to put on his coat.

His “no hand, no hand,” got me thinking.

Have I ever said “No hand,” to God?

Undoubtedly I have many times.

Coming from my 1.5 year old, it is a sweet, though sometimes difficult, gesture of growing up. He should be gaining independence. It is good and right for him to want to gain more independence.

For me, in my walk with God, seeking independence by rejecting God’s help is a stubborn prideful thing. It is not good.

God wants me to depend on Him. The more I grow and mature in my relationship with Him, the more I will depend on Him.

Yet He gives me the choice.

We are told:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know Him,
and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CSB

I am to lean into God and let Him help me. I am not to live this life in my own understanding, or my own strength.

Today, may I reach out my hand towards my Heavenly Father and say, “Abba’s hand” as I lean into the help He offers.

Brown Sugar Keeper

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

“It’s your turn to open presents.” My sister-in-law’s words drew my attention back from helping my kids explore the gift they’d just unwrapped.

“Okay,” I picked up a medium-sized box wrapped in festive paper.

I checked the label. It was from my in-laws. I glanced up to double-check they knew I was opening it.

I ripped off the paper to reveal a brown shipping box.

I opened the box.

Inside, I found a wide glass jar with a flip lid, a fresh bag of brown sugar, and a set of sugar keepers or brown sugar savers.

I smiled. These would be useful.

At one point, I had kept my brown sugar in a tall plastic container, but the container was now scratched and cracked. Recently, my brown sugar lived in the original bag with a twist tie or clip to seal it shut. This meant I was often battling hard, dry brown sugar.

A few days later, after the hubbub of Christmas had calmed, I prepared to put my new gift to use. With the jar freshly washed, I looked at the sugar keepers.

They were simple terracotta discs with the imprint of a maple leaf.

The instructions were straightforward. Soak in water for 20 minutes. Dry off the outside and place in sugar.

I filled a measuring cup with water and put the sugar keepers in.

My kids glanced up from their playdough at the sound of the sizzle and whistle of the keepers soaking up the water.

Once the kids returned to their playdough, I had a moment to read the back of the sugar keepers’ package.

The package listed several other things the sugar keeper could do:

  • Keep cakes and cookies moist
  • Keep raisins, coconut, and other dried fruits fresh

I glanced at my kids. Could it keep playdough soft? I might have to try.

I looked back at the package. It had a second side to the wording.

Apparently, the sugar keeper could be dried in the oven and would then be useful for keeping things dry. It could:

  • Keep spices and salt dry
  • Keep chips crispy
  • Keep electronic equipment dry

These uses surprised me. I had no idea how many things a little terracotta disc could be useful for.

It was then that an allegory took shape in my mind.

I, as a Christian, am meant to bring life to those around me, just as the sugar keeper is to bring moisture (and thus give life to) brown sugar.

Is it my own life that I bring to those around me? No, it is the life Jesus gives. The life which, by the Holy Spirit, lives in me.

Similarly, the sugar keeper does not give its own moisture to the sugar. The keeper must first be soaked, thus being filled up with water so it has something to give.

Giving moisture is not the only thing a sugar keeper can do. It can also suck moisture out of everything around it.

Likewise, giving life is not the only thing I can do. I can also drain the joy and hope out of everyone I cross paths with.

This happens when I am living in the flesh, not walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26 clarifies the difference. (For sake of time I will abbreviate the passage, but the full section is worth reading.)

The works of the flesh include: Jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, and envy. (Gal. 5:19-21)

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23a CSB)

I don’t want to be a life drainer. I want to be life giving to those around me.

I want to share a taste of the life Jesus gives with those I cross paths with. I want to give joy, hope, encouragement, and love to them.

I want them to see Jesus in me.

How can I do this?

The more I draw near to Jesus – seeking Him through the Bible, prayer, worship, and Christian fellowship – the more I will be filled with His life.

The more I am filled with Jesus’ life, the more it will seep out of me to bring life to those around me.

God will be at work through me.

Today, may I seek Jesus more so that I may be a life giver, not a life drainer.

Wrong Thinking

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

“Parmesan cheese, please.” My 3 year old daughter pointed across the table.

I sprinkled some of the cheese on her pasta. “There you go.”

She took a bite, then picked up her water to take a drink.

As she tilted the cup to take a drink, she tipped it too far, pouring cold water onto her pant leg.

“Oh…” She put the cup back down. “Now I’m wet. I can’t be wet.”

She proceeded to roll her affected pant leg up past the wet spot.

“There,” she declared, “now it will dry faster.”

I frowned. “It will dry slower, not faster, when it is rolled up. Your pants need to be spread out to dry faster.”

“No. It will dry faster.”

I sighed. I knew pressing the point would get me nowhere. I had tried before, several times…

“Well, you get to choose if you want your pant leg rolled up or not.”

It was time to change the topic.

“Look. I see a squirrel in the tree outside. I wonder what he’s trying to do.”

It wasn’t until I had a few minutes to slow down several days later that it occurred to me that there is an allegory here for me to learn from.

As I was reflecting on my daughter’s attitude of not wanting to listen to me in this manner, the thought crossed my mind: “Is there any area of my thinking where I have been refusing to listen to God?”

With my daughter, sometimes this same attitude has shown up in statements such as, “if I don’t get a turn now, then I never will get a turn.”

My reply has been, “That’s not true. You need to wait for one more minute and then it will be your turn. You need to tell yourself the truth.”

To her reply of “Why?”

I say, “Because it hurts you when you don’t tell yourself the truth. It makes you feel grumpy.”

The question begs to be asked: Is there any area of my life that I am not telling myself the truth?

Probably.

My wrong thinking may be fueled by pride, ignorance, fear, or nearly anything else. It may seem harmless right now, but when I continue to think that way, eventually it will hurt me and likely cause harm to those around me.

Is God trying to explain to me the truth so that I don’t cause myself all sorts of trouble by believing the lie I am telling myself?

Yes.

Much of the transforming work God does in my life takes place in the mind.

As Romans 12:2 tells us: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” (CSB)

How does God transform my thinking?

There are many ways. Time spent reading the Bible is hugely significant. Spending time in prayer, listening to sound Bible teaching, and fellowshipping with other Christians all play large roles as well.

God wants to help me know the truth. As I seek Him, He will transform my thinking (though I may not clearly see it myself).

Today, may I have the courage to honestly ask God to show me where I have been thinking wrong, and then to help me change it.

Looking for a Bible-based devotional? Check out my post:

Grow Your Faith: 5 Inspiring and Free Christian Devotionals