My beloved husband, Kent, died in January 2012, 3 years after diagnosis of a brain tumour. Our son was 2 1/2 and our daughter 3 months old. He and I were far too young. I am now hurtling through the black space of life without him.

Thursday 11 October 2012

Rock and Sand

The little guy asked me to read from his "Child's Book of Parables" today, and this is the story he asked me to read. Twice.

The Wise Man and the Foolish Man (Matthew 7: 24 - 27)

Two men - one wise and one foolish - set out one day to build houses for themselves. After searching for some time, the wise man found a clear spot on solid, rocky ground. Building on the stone was difficult. It took a long time to complete the house. But when he was finished, the man knew that his home was strong and would keep his family safe from the most powerful winds and heaviest rains.

The foolish man found a nice spot for his house, too - on a sandy beach. Building on the soft sand was easy and took hardly any time at all. He was finished long before the wise man and was happy that he had such a nice view of the sea from his house.

One day, a big storm came and battered the two houses. The rains fell, the winds blew and the water rose and flooded the land. The wise man's house on the rock didn't move an inch. But the house of the foolish man cracked, crumbled and fell down.

Jesus said that if we hear his teachings and obey them, we are like the wise man who built his house on the rock. If we if we hear his teachings and don't obey them, we are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. Jesus is our rock - if we listen to his teachings and try our best to follow them, he will keep us safe.

1 comment:

  1. He asked me to read it twice yesterday too. I perhaps had some of the same thoughts you're having.

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