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Parables, Proverbs, and Pearls

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Ego by Doris Lakey

Sometimes I used to fancy that I had flashes of genius and the world

hadn’t caught on yet how witty I was. Sooner or later they’d see

my many talents, I figured. In the meantime, after the flash, I would

feel sorely unappreciated. It started back in school. My teacher was

the only one who noticed how special I was. She even laughed at

my jokes—sometime.

Other days I even rolled my own eyes along with the crowd. Who was

I to try and attract friends, to try to garner approval from the popular

crowd? I cringed when I looked in the mirror—pigtails, freckles, scrawny

legs, worn out shoes and home-made dresses.

Sadly, it took a few decades for me to see beyond the pigtails, now

thinning hair, freckles traded in for wrinkles, and extra pounds I added,

just for the fun of it. I now go out of my way to avoid mirrors because

there’s nothing for me to learn there. That’s not a bad thing, because

there are other faces, smiling faces, all around me. Wait, what?

It was a surprise to me when I became aware of this phenomenon.

After thinking, wondering how this came to be, I truly had a flash of

genius. Perhaps all along there were people waiting for me to look up,

to smile, to speak, too look away from myself and really see them!

But first I had to learn my true identity; a child of Royalty, stolen by

the Gypsy would-be god of this world for a time. There are so many

promises waiting for each of us when we search the Bible for them.

When we meet the One who loved us enough to die for us, even

when we ignore or disappoint Him, it does wonders for your self-

image. You find your true value and see other people and love them

like Jesus does; you can no longer be self-centered. Even if your jokes

are lame.

self image: whenever you feel insignificant, remember

how important you are to God. God doesn’t help us

because we deserve it, but because He loves us. Find

your self-worth in God’s unconditional love, not in your

accomplishments . Nothing we do in our own power for

God can be good enough—our obedience in being

available to Him to do great things will stand thru eternity.

Hard Times

There are hard times in all our lives. Some of us would look around and deny our neighbors have the kind of troubles we have and that’s probably true, but if we had a chance to compare, we’d probably prefer not to trade ours for theirs.

I was born into Hard Times shared by a nation. The Great Depression caused much suffering, even suicides by some millionaires who had lost what they held most dear. Others were sustained by love for their families, sacrifice and struggle and faith in something—the future, their strength, each other, or God.

Unemployment was widespread, and even those who found work struggled to feed and house their families. My Grandmother Nora sold household cleaning products door-to-door and later worked in a commercial laundry ten hours a day, six days a week, for six dollars a week and raised three teenagers on spaghetti, beans and fried potatoes. The boys would hunt squirrels and possums to sell to neighbors not too proud to eat them and had newspaper routes, to augment family income.

Parents quietly sacrificed to give the best and most of what they had to their children, shielding them from the fears and insecurity of their situation. A few years later I became aware of how deeply this sacrifice went and realized what it meant.

I remember when I was about three, there was often a bowl of oranges or apples on our table, and to please her finicky daughter, my mother would peel an apple for me and eat the peeling herself. At first I was surprised but guessed that grownups had strange preferences and came to expect it as normal. A few years later, she peeled my apple and threw away the skin. Surprised, I asked her “Don’t you want the skin?” She wrinkled her nose and said no.

Throughout my life I have seen parents doing without to provide the best for their children without letting them know all the sacrifices they made. This parental instinct to care for one’s own was implanted in our hearts by a Holy, loving God, who even sacrificed His only Son to provide life for each of us. If He did this for us, can you imagine the home He is now preparing for us, His adopted family?

The Exchanged Life by Doris Lakey

                Did I read something similar once, long ago? ....If so, this is my tribute to the inspiration that outlasted my memory of that author and his work. 

               THE EXCHANGED LIFE

               

Consider the caterpillar...

When asked to name his heart's dearest wish,

He pondered a long while, then said,

"I'd like to have a tree all to myself;

The biggest tree in the forest,

With so many juicy. green leaves

I could eat without stopping as long as I live."

The Lord smiled and said, "That's what I thought,

But I have a better plan for you;

One I'm sure you will enjoy even more--

But I’ll need your cooperation.  Before I can give you

My gift, you must be willing to give up your dream

And trust me enough to lay down your present life."

So the caterpillar trusted the Lord to do what was best

And closed his eyes on his green, fragrant world.

While he slept, the Lord spun a silver web around him

To keep him warm and safe, until one bright day

He awoke and began to wriggle free of his blanket

And look around his cool green tree;

But something felt strange, and he stretched all over

And looked up in surprise to see two bright, silky wings

Waving above his head, and when he fluttered them,

His little body lifted from the branch, and as he

Rose higher and higher into the blue sky,

He remembered the Lord's words and gave thanks.

My Passport by Doris Lakey

My Passport

I have a passport which allows me to leave one nation and enter another, so long as I abide by the laws of whatever country I enter. However, before I am allowed to go from one to another, my passport is examined to authenticate that I have the history of a law-abiding citizen, I must state my reason for being there, and the border officers must believe I constitute no threat within their territory before I am allowed to enter.

Each kingdom has rules about whomever and whatever they restrict from entry. Some of these rules may seem petty to me, but they don’t care. Rules is rules! If I want to enter I must comply or stay behind. Now I’m all for their keeping weapons, infectious diseases or dangerous people out.

But there is a long list of seemingly innocent things they won’t allow. If for instance, if I am taking home a few souvenirs that I didn’t declare? What’s the big deal? Those items are way down in the list and they are so small they probably won’t be noticed.

But what if they are found? I must unpack; all my secrets will be exposed .I may be asked to leave behind some things I hold dear. Some choice: leave them or stay behind to keep them. However, if it appears that I deliberately hid them, I may find myself in real trouble.

Heaven’s “Pearly Gate” will be an impressive sight one day, but if you thought airport security was tough, just watch this! Boarding pass in hand, you stand in line, waiting your turn to pass through its X-ray machine.
You know better than trying to smuggle in big-time bad habits and unconfessed sin, and comparing yourself with those around you, you feel pretty safe. You recognize a few people from your own church up ahead and they don’t look worried. Still, you’ve been told God doesn’t grade on the curve, but against the perfection of His blessed Son, Jesus.

You are next in line. Your mind races, trying to remember anything you overlooked. That X-ray shows everything. As you approach, you glimpse the viewing screen and see dark patches lighting up. A wisp of smoke appears as your “contraband” is removed and destroyed.

Many of the things you thought were good works went up in a puff of smoke, along with the deeply-held sins that you struggled against for so long. Glad you accepted that “fire insurance policy”? None of those seem so important now.
Free at last.

Kathryn Elizabeth (Kathy) Lakey Graham, August 17,1956 - May 30,1994

               Time to Mourn by Doris Lakey

Sing,

Angels!

Dance in joy,

Greet her gently.

Her short path was steep;

God alone heard her cries;

Others saw peace in her eyes;

Silently she lingered in trust,

Listening for His beckoning call,

Which seemed to take so long, yet came so soon.

Now,

Alone,

Silently

I face the day,

Yet I'm not alone,

Your Spirit is with me,

Your love surrounds me with grace;

Your mercy endures my failures;

O God, author of love eternal,

Prepare my heart for your presence within.

Kathryn Elizabeth Lakey Graham

Kathryn Elizabeth Lakey

Kathryn Elizabeth Lakey

What is a Christian? by Doris Lakey

What is a Christian? What is a hypocrite?

The Bible says we are, first, followers of Christ. We are witnesses to His death and resurrection.

We are the light shining to lead others to His path.

We are salt, to add flavor to a world daily searching for something fresh and new;  salt is needed for the human body to live. It preserves food, purifying it.

We are ambassadors to a foreign world.

We are saints, sanctified by the Blood of Christ, shed to redeem us.

Am I what I say I am? How can you tell? Do I fit that description?

Heaven and the world hate hypocrites. 

If I am a saint and no one can see that because I behave like the world around me, I am a hypocrite because I am acting like something I am not.

You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A town on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. 

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, So that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.  Matthew 5:13-16