Life's Little Parables

I own an air popper.  Since I was child, I’ve always enjoyed watching the kernels being bounced and heated until they finally explode into great, white, glorious popcorn.  Pop, pop, pop…Bouncing around in the hot chamber until finally overflowing into the bowl that’s happily waiting to catch it.  Popcorn is SO good and yummy!

When we go through trials and challenges in this life, we can begin to feel like the kernel left at the bottom of the popper’s chamber, like nothing but steel and heat surround us. We feel bounced around by the trials buffeting against us. It’s uncomfortable, difficult, and getting hotter.  Then, we suddenly feel a change in ourselves.  We feel like we’ve learned what we needed to from the trial so we should be released from our trial, yet we are still there in that popcorn chamber feeling the heat.  Just as it takes a while for the popcorn to be released from the chamber, it takes time for the Lord to complete His work in our hearts and lives.  In Hebrews 12:6, he tells us “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”  He’s like the bowl, happily waiting for us.  He knows what we are going through, but He also knows the changes going on in our hearts through these trials.  These changes must take place in us so He can receive us.  He knows just how good we can be!

Seeing as we just rang in the New Year, I feel like sharing a “Mother of the Year” moment I had when my son was a baby.  We had a night-time routine in our family.  While I changed the baby’s diaper, my daughter (5) was supposed to clean her room.  After I was done with his diaper, I helped her with any cleaning she didn't finish.  One evening, I was changing my son's diaper, and my daughter knew I was changing his diaper.  She should have known it was time to clean her room.  I finished up and went into her room.  It looked like a bomb exploded in there!  Toys littered the floor, clothes were in total disarray, it was a mess!  At that moment, I did what any great “Mother of the Year” would do…I lost my head and yelled at her. “WHY DOES YOUR ROOM LOOK LIKE THIS?! WHY DIDN’T YOU CLEAN IT.  YOU KNEW I WAS CHANGING THE BABY’S DIAPER, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEANING YOUR ROOM.  I’M GIVING YOU 5 MINUTES TO CLEAN IT AND IF YOU DON’T YOU’LL BE IN BIG TROUBLE!”  Then, I proceeded to stomp off to the living room. 

As I entered the living room, I started to feel “Mother of the Year” glowing on my forehead like a neon sign.  Ug, what had I just done!  As I calmed down, my thoughts turned to how our Heavenly Father treats us, His children (Psalms 82:6 KJV).  Many times we know what we should be doing, but we choose not to do the tasks he asks us.  What does He do to us when we don’t do as He asks?  Does He start yelling? “I’VE TOLD YOU HOW MANY TIMES TO READ YOUR SCRIPTURES?  WHAT’S SO HARD ABOUT PRAYING?  WHY ARE YOU JUST SITTING THERE?  YOU SHOULD BE SERVING YOUR FELLOW MEN!!  DO IT NOW OR YOU’LL BE IN BIG TROUBLE!”   Generally, no.  (Those times He does get angry and start "yelling", we better all watch out!!) He generally treats us with love, and respect.  He asks us kindly to follow Him as our Shepherd. 

As all these thoughts were swirling through my head, I returned to my daughter’s room.She looked at me with her big blue eyes, swimming with a few tears, and told me she was sorry.  I gave her a hug and apologized for my outburst.  She worked on cleaning while I was in the other room and her room looked much better.  She had done her part, and now I was able to help her finish the cleaning just like every other night.

I realized that just as I could now help her, our Heavenly Father is able to help us more as we do our part and do the things He asks.  We are promised as we pray our prayers will be answered in ways that are for our best good.  We are promised, as we pay our tithing the windows of heaven will be opened (Malachi 3:10).  Our Heavenly Father promised that as we follow him we will be blessed, and He will never break that promise.