Me:  What are you doing in that tree?

Prodigal:  I am looking for a squirrel, I just saw one but they are pretty fast.

Me:  They sure are,  I can share a story that I think will make you laugh.

 

This is from the book Parenting From Surviving to Thriving by Charles Swindoll

 

Many years ago, my good friend Ron Demolar operated a camp called Ponderosa at Mount Hermon in California, where he entertained middle-school kids from churches all over.  Now, Ron’s authentic to the core—he absolutely cannot stand clichéd Christianity and has a very mischievous sense of humor.  He told me about one particular year and how he decided to set the tone for the rest of the week.

He said, “All these kids showed up and were so busy impressing each other with their spirituality that I thought I would break the ice with some simple little questions.”  He started with, “Hey kids, what’s gray, runs real fast, has a big bushy tail, climbs trees, and hides nuts for the winter?”

The place was quieter than a room full of nuns.  The kids just sat and stared.  So he asked again, “Come on…what’s gray, runs real fast, has a big bushy tail, climbs, and hides nuts for the winter?”

Finally, a little girl sheepishly put up a hand.

“Yes, go ahead,”  He said.

The girl hesitated, then said, “I want to say a squirrel, but I’ll say Jesus Christ?”

 

Today do not try to impress others with knowledge.  Instead try to listen and see what God wants you to know in your heart.

 

Isaiah 58:6

This is the kind of fast I want.  I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.faithincounseling.org

www.theprodigalpig.com