Ima and Her Humble Pie

A certain young lady named Ima Knowitall was not very popular with others. She couldn't seem to keep friends too long, and it was easy to see why.

When someone tried to explain how to do something special, Ima would say, "No, that's not the way. This is the way to do it." Her schoolmates, when she use to attend school, revealed some interesting facts they learned in class, Ima would say, "No, this what it is. You have it wrong."

She quickly developed a reputation for being a "know-it-all," and lived up to her name perfectly. Any new friend she managed to make began to avoid her, and she couldn't understand why.

Ima Knowitall thought she really was smarter than most, more creative than most, and very knowledgable about many things. At least this is the opinion she had of herself, and she concluded, "They should take what I say, for I ought to know."

People talked about her sometimes, and one old-timer said, "Someday that young lady is going to be kicked by the conclusion of a mule."

This is how it happened. Ima drove around in her modern little vehicle everywhere she needed to go. She usually traveled alone because of her reputation. She was proud of her supposed wisdom and felt a little above most. Yet, Ima was human, and she did feel lonely at times.

Actually, she did have some good traits. New people liked her because she could be cheerful and kind. Young men found her attractive, so she had a few dates now and then. But nothing lasted long. We know why, even if she didn't, until that day when IT happened.

Ima drove her car rather hurriedly to town over the muddy dirt road. It had recently rained pretty hard and long, and she should have driven much slower.

That day she had an appointment to keep, so she slid around over the wet surface in several places, refusing to slow down. Suddenly, she swerved into the ditch on the side of the road. It wasn't really deep, but her front tires sunk into the mud. As she tried to get out they sank even deeper.

"How will I ever get out of this mess?" She wondered. A neighbor slowly drove by in his pickup, but he didn't even stop or say a word. She didn't know he was thinking, "Ima knows it all. She can get herself out." He smiled and drove slowly on.

She noticed a couple she knew taking a walk in an area nearby where the ground was higher and drier. When they saw her they just waved and went on their way. A few other people drove by, but they just ignored her.

Ima got out and tracked through the mud to survey the situation. "I don't know what to do" she thought. "I'm in a real pickle." She tried to push the little car, but it wouldn't budge. It was too far to walk home or to town, she decided. So she got back into her car and started crying.

In the meantime, at the little store in town, a group of people who knew her had gotten together. The neighbor in the truck told them Ima's predicament.
One laughed and another said, "She deserves it."

But one young fellow frowned and said, "She needs our help. I know she can't get that little car out of the mud by herself."

A big strapping man, named Bill Strongman, said, "You know, John Humblepie, Ima knows EVERYTHING." Several people laughed.

John just quietly said, "But she is always ready to help you when you need help. She is very kind. Remember, Bill, when your wife became sick, Ima came and spent a lot of time helping your wife."

The big guy mumbled, "I know," and hung his head. Everyone grew silent. John Humblepie said, "Who will go with me to help her out?" He stepped toward the door of the store and a few men followed him.

It didn't take them long to get out to where Ima sat in her car. The sun had started drying the main part of the road, so they made the trip fairly fast. John walked up to the car where Ima sat in the front seat.

He noticed she had gotten pretty muddy, and he asked her, "Are you all right?" She nodded yes, and said, "I am sorry to trouble you. I should have drove slower on this road."

"It's okay, Ima. We will have you out in a jiffy." True to his word, the men managed to get her out in a few minutes. Then John offered to drive her home, so she could clean up."

This isn't quite the end of the story. Ima did get kicked by a mule, even if it wasn't a real one. She began to realize she did not not know it all. It took awhile for her to learn to keep quiet when she felt tempted to brag. She prayed about it and tried really hard. She learned to say things like, "I may be wrong, but..." or "This might work too, but your idea may be better."

In the meantime she had an excellent teacher to help her--none other than John Humblepie. It was less than a year when she became Mrs. John Humblepie. The townspeople began to call her Ima Humblepie. Her friends and neighbors decided the name suited her just fine.

Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search

Bill Had a Bad Habit!

Bill Jones had friends. They liked him, yet sometimes they avoided him. It seems they had good reason to. He had a bad habit they found hard to tolerate sometimes. Some thought it was laughable, but others said, behind his back, "I am not going to put up with his attitude." And, they said it was the last time they would bother with him again.

The trouble was, Bill had good traits also. Everyone noticed he could be quite generous and helpful and kind. He would go out of his way to help a friend or neighbor in trouble. Thus, it was hard for them to stay away from him entirely. So what do you suppose was his problem?

Bill was a braggard, and when he bragged he had this habit sticking his thumbs under his front suspender straps. When the guys saw this they knew what was coming. The neighborhood men were gathered together one day on George's driveway. He had bought himself a car, and of course his friends were curious about it. "I do believe I got a good deal." George said, "The mileage is great, so I am really satisfied. It does have a small dent and a scratch, but the Lord knew how much we needed this, so He helped us raise the money without getting in debt." He continued, "It isn't new, but it seems to be in good in good condition. I am so thankful to have it."

As soon as had said this, Bill started in. "You should see the car I am buying. I was smart enough to jew the old guy down for a lot more than you would have been able to. Mine has twice as much mileage as yours, and it's newer too. Not a scratch on it. " He invited them to come over to look at it as soon as he brought it home, but the guys had no plans to hear more of Bill's bragging, so they didn't intend to go see it.

Of course, this wasn't the first time they had to hear Bill's bragging. They tried to forget the time he had put a friend down by boasting how much better he was at a certain job. Or when he bragged how much better his daughter played her violin than the other girls at a concert. It sickened them sometimes to hear him. They came to the place where they walked away when they saw his thumbs go into his suspender straps. Of course they made excuses for leaving, and Bill was quite puzzled by their behaviour.

One day Bill had an accident with his car. It was definitely his fault, as he had ran a red light. His family had been with him. A couple of the guys noticed the dents in his car and stopped to ask him about it. He started blaming the guy who hit him. He thought maybe he was drunk. He started to say what a good driver he always was and the other guy didn't watch where he was going. Suddenly, his little girl spoke up. "Daddy, you went through a red light, and the police man gave you a ticket. He said you had broken the law." Daddy, turned red and took his thumbs out of his suspenders. He had no more to say, and the guys were gracious enough to change the subject.

When Bill went in afterward, he spent some time by himself thinking about this. For the first, he began to realize something about himself just wasn't quite right. Could it have anything to do with why the fellows walked away when he started talking sometimes? He had to admit his little girl was absolutely right in what she said. Perhaps he was not such a good driver after all. It made him feel quite uncomfortable, and he didn't sleep well that night.

Then something happened which took the cake, not so long afterward. The church family went on a picnic together. Most of the church members were there, and Bill and his family had looked forward to it. The conversation got around to the good food everyone had brought. Bill had to admit most of the dishes were very tasty. It was a potluck so several people had brought different dishes. Someone mentioned Ann's potato salad, and Bill chimed in and said his wife made a much better one. After they had eaten, someone else mentioned a baked bean dish they liked.

Bill got a hold of his suspenders and just couldn't help but tell them that he made the best baked beans in the whole country side. He didn't stop there. "I am able to bake and cook the most delicious food around here. No one can top me. Not even my wife." While he was saying this he had grabbed his suspender straps and given them a good yank.

You might guess what happened next. "Pop, pop!" They both had come loose. If his wife hadn't come to his rescue, his pants would have come completely off, but she caught them before they had gone down a couple of inches. Everyone was watching, Bill was sure. His wife managed to fasten them back up before a real disaster happened. But some people were snickering and a few were laughing very loud. Needless to say, Bill's face looked like a beet root.

Soon people went back to what they were doing. Bill and his family left early from that picnic, which had started out to be so enjoyable. His little girl came up to him when they got into their home, and said, "Daddy, I love you, and I am sorry your suspenders came loose." She hugged him close and continued, "You know, Daddy, I think you had better stop your bragging, because suspenders cost money, and you don't have anymore left right now."

Bill had been very quiet on their trip home, and he felt humbled by his little girl's speech. He knew she had to be right. Somehow, his suspenders never came loose again, nor did he need another pair for a long, long time. In fact, the calouses on his thumbs disappeared too.

Bill noticed his friends were eager to see him now and they never walked away or became terribly silent, at times, like they had in the past. Bill actually felt relieved to know he wasn't any better than anyone else. He was just an ordinary guy with a few skills and a few possessions, but so were many other people.

Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search

Beauty is Where You See It

A woman looked in a mirror and saw her reflection, just as anyone else might do. Except, in this case, she saw something she did not like. "I never realized I was so homely." She turned away from the mirror and started to weep. She felt nothing can be done to improve her face, so she went about her work and tried to forget it.

When her husband returned from his work, she frowned at him and said, "You tracked in some mud. Why don't you ever remember to wipe your shoes off before you come in?" He quietly said, "I'm sorry." The rest of the evening he noticed she was cross as a bear, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. After another cross word or two from her, he decided not to try to communicate more than necessary and figured she would feel better in the morning.

The next morning, as he shaved, he noticed his long nose and decided his ears were too large also. "No wonder she was so cross, look what she has to see everyday." He sighed, and mumbled to himself, "Not much I can do about it." Soon he took off for work, and so another day began.

Today, when lunch time came, he ate by himself. This started him thinking about his wife being so cross with him yesterday and rather moody this morning even. As he thought about it, he decided perhaps it wasn't his long nose and big ears that was bothering her. "I wonder how long it has been since I told her how much I love her? I guess I expects she knows, but maybe she needs to know I really appreciate all the special things she does." Then he got an idea: "I know, I will bring her home a gift. She needs a new purse, and I saw her looking at one in a store the other day. I will get the one she seemed to like so well."

So, that night when he returned and walked in the door. He said, "Honey, I love you, and I am sorry I failed to tell you this lately. You are so good to me. I hope you will forgive me. I really appreciate all those little special things you do." When he thought about his gift, he smiled. "Oh yes, and here is something for you I believe you will like. I think you really liked it when you saw it the other day, and you deserve something nice." As he handed her the package with the purse, he noticed the suprised look on her face. When she took it out she smiled and said, "Thank you! I am sorry I have been so cross lately. I love you too."

The smile remained on her face the rest of the evening. They had great communication that evening, and their conversation was sweet to their ears. Later on, he hugged his wife and said, "Honey, you know you are beautiful to me." She knew he meant every word. That night as she washed her face before going to bed, she looked in the mirror. "I don't think I am so homely after all." Her smile remained until she fell asleep later.

Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search

The Pit

(A Parable or Allegory)

Once two men fell into a pit. This pit was deep, and the sides were quite slick and hard. One man was disabled. In fact, he was paralyzed. He could barely wiggle his fingers. Since the other man was physically fit, he did his best to climb the walls of the pit, but only wore himself out in his attempts.

“I’d help you out if I could only make it myself.” He said to his companion.

“But you can’t.” The other man replied. “There is no use. As far as scaling these walls you are as helpless as I am.”

“I know,” said the fit man, “but what else can we do?”

“The Master is above. Have you called out to him?” “Now and then, but He doesn’t seem to answer.”

The paralyzed one sighed. “I suppose we will have to give up and be resigned to die here in this pit.”

“No, No!” said his companion. “We mustn’t give up. I, for one, have been relying on my own powers too much. We have to have His help.”

“I believe we need to rely entirely on Him. We can do nothing without Him. I am going to call to Him until He answers.” Said the paralyzed one.

“You are right, and I will too.”

So they called and cried aloud. They asked His forgiveness for the times they had hurt Him by their words and actions. They thanked Him for blessing them in the past. And, they plead with Him for deliverance from their terrible pit. They also acknowledged to Him that they were completely dependent on His help. They even confessed to one another for treating each other so poorly in the past. No matter what happened they wanted a clean slate.

“Listen,” said the paralyzed one, “I believe I hear the Master’s voice.”

“Oh yes, I do too.” said the other.

“My dear children,” The Master said. “I have been with you all along.”

“Oh, why didn’t you answer?” The men asked.

“I waited until you were ready–until you realized your complete helplessness without Me, until you hated the pit with a desperation that made you long for delivery with all your heart. Your efforts have actually been quite feeble. For they were not combined with My strength. Your faith was weak, but now that you realize your great need, I can help you.”

“Oh, thank you Master.” They both cried.

“First of all,” said the Master, “Able-body, I want you to help your disabled brother. I will let the rope of My strength down. Please tie this around him.”

“Yes, Master, I will do all You say.”

“Now,” said the Master, “Paralyzed-one, make an attempt to climb the wall.”

“But I can’t move.” He said. “You know I am paralyzed,”

“Never mind that. If you will obey Me and trust Me, I will take care of the results. Put forth your very best effort. Without Me you can do nothing, yet I still expect your best efforts.”

“Yes Lord, I will obey.” He said humbly as he strained to carry out his Master’s wishes. To his surprise his body began to cooperate with his determined effort. Holding on to the rope, he was actually able to scale the walls, and soon he was in his Master’s arms.

All this amazed the other man, and his faith increased as he saw his helpless companion gain the victory over those walls.

“Lord,” he said, “my efforts too were feeble. Though I was more able than he to accomplish the task, I now realize that even with my best efforts, I cannot scale the walls of this terrible pit without Your rope of strength. Please, Master, give me Your strength. I am utterly helpless to escape this pit without it.”

So, two men, with very different temperaments, with different problems, different personal weaknesses, needed the Master (their Saviour and ours) to pull them out of the deep pit of sin. They couldn’t do it without His strength. Nor could they do it successfully without their best efforts.

In the Bible, Jesus told the man at the pool to take up his bed and walk. This man, by faith, was enabled to walk because he obeyed the Master’s command and put forth his best efforts in the process. If we are to be freed from the pit of sin, we must, day by day, trust in the Master, and, at the same time, put forth our best efforts. Yet, we can only be overcomers as we rely on His strength. Because, without the rope of His strength, our best efforts will count for nothing. We will be has helpless as if we were paralyzed.

As you find yourself in a pit of sin, don’t give up. Pray for deliverance. Look to the Master for strength. Believe in His power to deliver you, show your faith by your own best effort. Without Him you can do nothing. All your best efforts will avail nothing. Yet, they are necessary and will prove you are really trusting Him. Then your obedience will reveal your decision to do His will. Thus, He can give you strength and victory.

THE END

Copyright 2000, Kathryn D. Search

A Parable on Selfishness

A certain man, Joe Doe, gained an especially terrible reputation for his selfishness to everyone around him. How Joe managed to keep a job and marry a wife was a mystery to most of those who were acquainted with him. Even his children began to dislike Joe. It was surprising they were not as selfish as he was.

Their longsuffering mother seemed to keep the children fairly in balance. Perhaps she would have left him long ago, if she didn't possess a goodly amount of unselfishness herself.

It seemed to his neighbors he went from bad to worse, day-by-day. They were expecting his wife to take the children and leave. Also, one wonders how Joe kept his job so long. Perhaps it was because he was left alone to work by himself. His fellow workers and his employer left him to himself almost all the time.
When they needed to talk to Joe or work with him they dreaded it.

No one wanted to treat him unkindly, but he would berate and yell at them no matter how hard they tried to be friendly. They pitied Joe and he knew it, and this made him angry.

After several years of putting up with his rudeness and greediness, things changed. It happened rather suddenly. He met a stranger. Joe Doe viewed the stranger with suspicion. This stranger perplexed him. He seemed odd--different than the rest of the people who appeared in his life. He couldn't figure out what it was which made him different.

Joe did notice the stranger took an interest in him. He was puzzled as the stranger acted as though he actually "liked" him. Even Joe's children didn't seem to like him, and he had come to realize this. His wife barely tolerated him, and his co-workers and neighbors avoided him almost completely. Joe knew he wasn't happy, but he blamed all this on everyone else.

This stranger actually made him feel just a bit better when he came around. He talked with Joe. The selfish man noticed he seemed interested in what interested him. It wasn't long before Joe managed more than "yes or no" to answer the stranger's questions. Once in awhile the stranger complimented Joe on what he was wearing or on something he had done well.

Very gradually, Joe began to change. At first, no one noticed it, but soon they couldn't help notice. His children began to receive a compliment once in awhile, and even Joe's wife appeared startled a few times to hear her selfish husband give her a compliment. One time, he brought her a small gift. He explained, "I liked the dish you made for dinner yesterday."

The stranger, from time to time, brought Joe a gift of an item he thought Joe would need. As the stranger's beautiful character began to be appreciated by Joe Doe, he seemed to enjoy copying him. His kindness and love, as you might say, rubbed off on Joe.

His fellow-workers started spending more time with Joe, as it seemed to them he was becoming more unselfish and loving than even they were. The day came when Joe's wife, his children, his neighbors, and his co-workers no longer thought of Joe as "Selfish Joe Doe." But they wondered what had made the great change.

Joe Doe told them about the Stranger. Many of them had never met Him yet. Joe introduced them to Him, one by one. Not all liked the Stranger. He made them feel guilty or uncomfortable, because of their own selfishness. Perhaps they weren't as bad as Joe had been, but they refused to change. They remained the same selfish individuals.

Have YOU met this kind, loving Stranger yet? Is He taking the selfishness out of your life? Are you allowing Him to do so?

Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search