Date sent: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 09:04:49 -0700
Subject: [RRGold] [RR] Parable of the Candles
From: Harold Burke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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from Harold's file . . .
Parable of The Candles
There was a blackout one night. When the lights
went out, I fumbled to the closet where we keep
the candles for nights like this...I lit four
of them. I was turning to leave with the large
candle in my hand when I heard a voice, "Now,
hold it right there."
"Who said that?"
"I did." The voice was near my hand.
"Who are you? What are you?"
"I'm a candle."
I lifted up the candle to take a closer look.
There was a tiny face in the wax. "Don't take
me out of here!"
"What?"
"I said, Don't take me out of this room."
"What do you mean? I have to take you out.
You're a candle. Your job is to give light.
It's dark out there."
"But you can't take me out. I'm not ready," the
candle explained with pleading eyes. "I need
more preparation."
I couldn't believe my ears. "More preparation?"
"Yeah, I've decided I need to research this job
of light-giving so I won't go out and make a
bunch of mistakes. You'd be surprised how
distorted the glow of an untrained candle can
be...."
"All right then," I said. "You're not the only
candle on the shelf. I'll blow you out and take
the others!"
But right then I heard other voices, "We aren't
going either!"
I turned to the other candles, "You are candles
and your job is to light dark places!"
"Well, that may be what you think," said the
first one, "you may think we have to go, but
I'm busy...I'm meditating on the importance of
light. It's really enlightening."...
"And you other two," I asked, "are you going to
stay too?"
A short, fat, purple candle with plump cheeks
spoke up. "I'm waiting to get my life together,
I'm not stable enough."
The last candle had a female voice, very
pleasant to the ear. "I'd like to help," she
explained, "but lighting the darkness is not my
gift...I'm a singer. I sing to other candles to
encourage them to burn more brightly." She
began a rendition of "This Little Light of
Mine." The other three joined in, filling the
closet with singing.... I took a step back and
considered the absurdity of it all. Four
perfectly healthy candles singing to each other
about light but refusing to come out of the
closet.
Here is a question for you, when was the last
time you shared the gospel to someone? This
world is full of darkness, with many people
stumbling around trying to find their way. You
can be a light for them, and believe me,
there's a light waiting for you. It can all
happen with something as sharing the faith, to
just a smile across the room, to a quick hello
to a forgotten friend.
Author Unknown
"You are the light of the world. A city on a
hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a
candle and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that
are in the house. LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE
BEFORE MEN THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS,
AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN."
Matthew 5:14-16
"May I always stop and think about what You would do, Lord, if you were
in
my shoes."
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"Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC!
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There's a storm coming, our Storm.
PROCLAIMING GOD'S LOVE TO A DYING WORLD
Say to the captives, 'come out,' and those in darkness, 'Be free!'
Isaiah 49:9
Love in Jesus
Adrian Bonham aka Morning Light, The Larrikin
I looked to the heavens to where God dwells
I looked into my life to see he lives there as well.
Outpost 49
Hawkesbury Royal Rangers
Windsor, N.S.W.
Australia
F.C.F. 94
http://www.summit.net.au/~founder1/
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