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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5348 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 08:03 pm |
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The following Penguin Parable is copyright 2007 by Marti Wilson.
It was originally posted on Catholic Pillar and Foundation, and is reposted with permission.
(The first part of this story, Doing Handstands, is available here.)
My # 2 child has always wanted to be different, to stand out -- understandable in a large family. However, on Christmas and on birthdays it becomes increasingly difficult to choose gifts that have never been done before. So, one Christmas, I chose to purchase a unicycle. It seemed perfect for a person who was athletic and wanted to be unique. How many people do you know who can ride a unicycle?
It was the most hated Christmas present. In fact what was desired was the jacket given to #3 which was similar to one given to #1 on an earlier occasion. So much for being unique! Well, #2 tried it a few times but never managed much more than mounting the thing while holding on.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it was the most coveted Christmas present. #3 & #4 were drooling to get their hands on it. #2 claimed ownership and refused to let anyone touch it while it hung in the garage growing cobwebs.
The next Christmas was easy. #3 & #4 received -- yep -- unicycles. They were estatic! How they jumped for joy! So, sure were they that within moments of assembly they would be cruising the neighborhood on unicycles. They made plans of where they would go and how their friends would be amazed!
We assembled them and they ran into the yard and . . . THUD! One fell. SPLAT! Another one hit! This went on for an hour or so. The next day 45 minutes or so. The next day . . you get the idea. Pretty soon they decided it was just too hard to stay on the darn thing and now I had 3 unicycles hanging in the garage.
Recently, I had to come up with P.E. for my homeschooling son (#4) as the curriculum for that subject is rather remedial for a boy who plays many team and individual sports. So, I told him that for 5th grade he would learn to ride his unicycle.
I hung a rope and we went over the basics. He got up on it and landed on his hard head. Luckily, he is hard headed. He got back up and down again. After a few moments he wanted to quit. I reached in my pocket and put "boy treasure" on the bannister rail -- enough money to buy a Slurpee. All he had to do was pedal 4 times holding the rope without falling.
By the time he reached the ability to pedal 3 times, his sister (#3) came out. She wanted in on it so I made the same promise. Needless to say what started slowly started gaining momentum. They would get up on those things and pedal and fall. Each time they tried they got a little further until the could go from one tree to the other and then back again.
Their original goals they had when they opened those unicycles have returned and day by day they get closer.
Why then did I say this was a continuation of "handstands"? Well in "handstands" I wrote:
Quote:
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I have been saved. I know this is a fact and that I have REALLY been saved. Through baptism I joined with Jesus' death on the cross and have been saved from slavery to sin. The shackled are broken and I am free. Free to do what? I am free to love and follow the Lord. I am also free to follow temptation. I am saved and I am free. Slavery to sin will no longer take me to Hell -- my choices may.
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I am now in the process of being saved. I have these wonderful dreams of walking in perfection with Jesus. (Yes, just like Peter I would hop out of the boat to walk on water!) Yet, it is difficult and I fail. (Just like Peter I too sink and have to grab hold of the Lord to keep my head above water.)
So these unicycles have held the perfect lesson of the process of being saved. Having been saved from slavery to sin is like receiving a unicycle. My #2 owns a unicycle and claims ownership, but cannot ride it -- it just grows cobwebs. Those who have been saved from slavery and that's it fall into this category -- it does nothing for them because they chose not to persue it. My #3 & #4 both encountered how difficult it is to ride without falling. With a bit of reward they continued until riding became the goal in itself. So it is with all who having been saved from the slavery of sin now chose to walk with the Lord. We fail. We must then choose to get back up and try to walk again. The Lord turns and holds out His hand each time we fall. We can see forgiveness in that nail hole of His hand. Do we accept or do we walk away? If we accept we walk further and further without failing with each attempt.
This is the part of the salvation process where we are being saved. So while those who speak of blessed assurance and OSAS think they have it, I know what that blessed assurance is and why we are not to worry the Holy Spirit with it. I will be saved if I endure until the end. Will I endure? God knows. I have trusted God to be saved from slavery to sin. I have trusted God to pick me up every time I have failed in the process of being saved. He's done so well that rather than presume His judgement or worry Him about it, I trust Him with "I will be saved if I endure till the end." My blessed assurance? God hasn't ever failed me, what more assurance could a person ask for?
So like those unicycles both unexpected and those desired, we have to learn to ride -- a little further each day -- until that day we can look up and say, "Look, Father, no hands! Thank you!"
**Just a post script: After we hung the rope, my #1 came home late at night from work. She saw the rope and then in a blond moment forgot about it -- got out of her car and ran right into it knocking herself on her butt. I think I just got another inspiration . . . .
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Thu Jan 25th, 2007 05:19 pm |
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| What a beautiful illustration. I think I should re-tell it to my OSAS Evangelical brethren. Hmmm....what do ya think?
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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