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03-12-2008, 11:48 AM
The Wisdom of the Three Little Pigs"
Scripture Reference: John 16:12-15, Matthew 7:24-29
We all know the story of the Three Little Pigs. It all began when the Mama Pig told her three little pigs that they were getting too big for her house and that they would need to move out into their own homes. Anxious to begin their adult lives, the Three Little Pigs all started out on the same road together. One by one they each met someone who was willing to give them the materials they would need to build their own house.
The first little pig built himself a house of straw. It went up quite quickly and he was very pleased with himself. The second little pig aspired to build an even sturdier house than his brother and built himself a house made out of sticks. It looked great and he too was proud of it. The third little pig avoided the straw and sticks altogether and found a man who gave him bricks to build an even stronger house than either one of the other little pigs. He worked very hard and it took him a very long time to finish the house, but once it was done his home was warm and cozy, safe and sound.
Now the Big Bad Wolf, the resident bad guy in this story, had a voracious appetite. He went to each of the Three Little Pigs' houses with plans of eating the owner. The first little pig who had built the straw house saw him coming and ran inside to hide, but the Big Bad Wolf saw the flimsy straw house and without much effort huffed and puffed and easily blew the house down. That night he had pork chops for dinner.
The next day the Big Bad Wolf went to the house that was made out of sticks. The second little pig, who was also very afraid of the Big Bad Wolf and who also hid in his house when he saw the wolf coming, understood quickly that his stick house was going to be no match for the huffing and puffing of the Big Bad Wolf. Without much trouble his house fell like, well, a stack of sticks. The Big Bad Wolf dined on tasty pork loin that evening.
Not content with eating only two of the three little pigs that had been sent out on their own, the Big Bad Wolf looked for and found the third little pig. Emboldened by his other two ventures he expected that he could huff and puff his way to a decent meal here too. But this little pig was smart. He had realized the risks of being on his own and had built himself a strong house on a solid foundation. It had not been an easy task but he understood that there were bad things out in the world that could harm him and he was determined to keep himself safe. Thus it was not unexpected that he should find himself prepared for the Big Bad Wolf when he came calling at his door. Secure in the strength of his house, this little pig let the Big Bad Wolf huff and puff all he wanted. But because the little pig had built his house on such a strong foundation and had worked very hard to make the actual house equally as strong, the Big Bad Wolf couldn't crack it, much less blow it down.
The foundation solid, the house built like a rock, the little pig knew that his strength was laid in his preparation and that nothing could be thrown at him - or huffed and puffed - that he could not withstand. He was strong because the foundation of his home was strong.
And that's it exactly. We all need to be strong in order to keep the wolves away from us. It is not easy and it takes hard work on our part to build and maintain a firm foundation for a relationship with God , but if we make that the source from which we can start, then we too will be able to withstand all of the ill winds that are bound to someday knock on our door.
Dear Lord,
Help me to lay the foundation on which I can build a relationship with you.
Blessings,
Cheryl Healy
www.matthewsumc.org
Scripture Reference: John 16:12-15, Matthew 7:24-29
We all know the story of the Three Little Pigs. It all began when the Mama Pig told her three little pigs that they were getting too big for her house and that they would need to move out into their own homes. Anxious to begin their adult lives, the Three Little Pigs all started out on the same road together. One by one they each met someone who was willing to give them the materials they would need to build their own house.
The first little pig built himself a house of straw. It went up quite quickly and he was very pleased with himself. The second little pig aspired to build an even sturdier house than his brother and built himself a house made out of sticks. It looked great and he too was proud of it. The third little pig avoided the straw and sticks altogether and found a man who gave him bricks to build an even stronger house than either one of the other little pigs. He worked very hard and it took him a very long time to finish the house, but once it was done his home was warm and cozy, safe and sound.
Now the Big Bad Wolf, the resident bad guy in this story, had a voracious appetite. He went to each of the Three Little Pigs' houses with plans of eating the owner. The first little pig who had built the straw house saw him coming and ran inside to hide, but the Big Bad Wolf saw the flimsy straw house and without much effort huffed and puffed and easily blew the house down. That night he had pork chops for dinner.
The next day the Big Bad Wolf went to the house that was made out of sticks. The second little pig, who was also very afraid of the Big Bad Wolf and who also hid in his house when he saw the wolf coming, understood quickly that his stick house was going to be no match for the huffing and puffing of the Big Bad Wolf. Without much trouble his house fell like, well, a stack of sticks. The Big Bad Wolf dined on tasty pork loin that evening.
Not content with eating only two of the three little pigs that had been sent out on their own, the Big Bad Wolf looked for and found the third little pig. Emboldened by his other two ventures he expected that he could huff and puff his way to a decent meal here too. But this little pig was smart. He had realized the risks of being on his own and had built himself a strong house on a solid foundation. It had not been an easy task but he understood that there were bad things out in the world that could harm him and he was determined to keep himself safe. Thus it was not unexpected that he should find himself prepared for the Big Bad Wolf when he came calling at his door. Secure in the strength of his house, this little pig let the Big Bad Wolf huff and puff all he wanted. But because the little pig had built his house on such a strong foundation and had worked very hard to make the actual house equally as strong, the Big Bad Wolf couldn't crack it, much less blow it down.
The foundation solid, the house built like a rock, the little pig knew that his strength was laid in his preparation and that nothing could be thrown at him - or huffed and puffed - that he could not withstand. He was strong because the foundation of his home was strong.
And that's it exactly. We all need to be strong in order to keep the wolves away from us. It is not easy and it takes hard work on our part to build and maintain a firm foundation for a relationship with God , but if we make that the source from which we can start, then we too will be able to withstand all of the ill winds that are bound to someday knock on our door.
Dear Lord,
Help me to lay the foundation on which I can build a relationship with you.
Blessings,
Cheryl Healy
www.matthewsumc.org