Thursday, August 02, 2007

The Journey Home (A parable by me)

Monica sat contentedly in her seat on flight 553. She couldn't wait to arrive at her destination. It had been 10 years since she visited her small hometown of Hindersonville. More than anything she was excited to connect with the cherished people of her past.

The people of Hindersonville found it hard to forget their beloved Monica. They eagerly awaited her arrival and took the tenderest care to make sure her trip would be perfect. Their ambitious plans insured a visit that would result in gleeful reminiscing.

As her flight grew closer to the Hindersonville airport, Monica couldn't help but wonder about the people she so fondly remembered. She giggled at the memory of Timmy and Thomas. These two mischievous boys were twins. She babysat them from the time they were born until she left Hindersonville two weeks before their 5th birthday. They would be 15 now. Monica couldn't wait to see how they had grown. She couldn't wait to hear of all of their adventures.

Then, there was the dear old lady who lived down the street; Mrs. Tompkins was her name. Boy, that was a smile Monica would never forget. Mrs. Tompkins would sit on her poarch and watch as people walked by. Anyone who looked her way or said hi would be greeted with the most sincere, crooked smile that beamed with kindness. Monica remembered the many glasses of lemonade she shared with this kind grandma as she told stories of days long passed. Monica couldn't wait to hear of old Mrs. Tompkins. Was she still alive? Would she still have stories to share?

Monica's cousin, Jena, lived in Hendersonville too. She had heard that Jena had great plans to change the world. Of course, this was no surprise to Monica. Jena had always been an enthusiastic go-getter, stopping at nothing to see her dreams turned into reality. But what were these big plans? What great dreams was Jena striving to achieve?

Oh, and Monica couldn't forget the Murpheys. This young couple moved to Hendersonville just before she left to follow the path laid out before her. She remembered seeing them beaming as they proudly announced at church that they were going to have their first child. Was it a boy or a girl? Did they have more children? Monica wanted to know everything.

Monica's thoughts were quickly brought back as she heard the pilot announce that the plane was landing.

Meanwhile, a happy party - signs ready, hats on head and party blowers in hand eagerly awaited the arrival of their young friend.

Monica stepped off the plane, excited to see all the eager faces. She saw twins, but they weren't boys, they were almost men. Could that be Timmy and Thomas? Oh, and there were the Murphey's, but there were no children. Maybe the kids were in bed. Monica couldn't wait to meet them. Jena was there too. There were so many people. Monica was so excited she thought she might burst. But before she could think, she was enveloped in a whirlwind of people dragging her away and quickly loading her into a personal limo to take her to the nicest hotel in town. The limo ride was nice, but how Monica longed to be with the ones she loved so much.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Monica was immediately escorted to the nicest room in the place. As she opened the door she was shocked. Her mouth dropped open a bit as she absorbed the scene of flowers, pictures and notes beautifully decorating her suite. The notes all told of the excitement of her arrival. As Monica fondly looked through the pictures, her eagerness grew to deeply connect with these people who made up her past.

This opportunity never came.

The plans for this short trip were amazing, so intricately and lovingly set in place, yet everything was rushed. From one event to the next she flew, always loudly proclaimed and fondly spoken of. Despite all this she was barely able to spend five minutes with one person before being shuffled off to the next thing on the itinerary.

The week was soon over. The people of the town were beaming. They had set all the best in motion. They had given Monica the best food, the best lodging, the best clothes, the best luxuries. They had done so much for her.

As she boarded the plane, Monica managed a smile and a sincere thank you for all of the love and care they put into planning this trip. As she got on the plane, a tear began to slowly trickle down her cheek. Loneliness, sorrow, and sadness gripped her. What Monica wanted more than anything was to connect with these people so dear in her heart. She wanted to share in their triumphs and to comfort them in their sorrows. Yet, in their eagerness to "go all out" for her, they forgot all about her.

How often do we treat God like the people of Hendersonville treated Monica? We get so excited about living our lives for God, or so caught up on the plans that He has for us, that we forget all about God. We forget to take that time to share with Him and include Him. We forget to make Him first, above all else. Jesus didn't die so that we might do great things for Him. He died so that He may spend eternity with us. Why not start right now?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

WOW- a really good way to bring it home. It is what we do, keep everyone busy,but don't really build a relationship. Really good.
Addie