The Parable of the Pencil

I am presently sharing a series at Cornerstone entitled "Under Construction." The premise is that we are all works in progress. We are not perfect, but are being changed into the image of the Lord from glory to glory. The processes of life are in place to help us progress and become what God intends us to be.

I came across the following parable while researching for the series on the Internet and found it to be a wonderful illustration to share. Therefore, I used it do drive home the 2nd message of the series and, as a result, have had many requests for a copy of it – so I am posting it here.

I would love to credit the author of this piece, but as far as I can tell, its authorship is unknown. FYI: The theme of the message (to which this parable was the main and closing illustration) was “Why Am I Here?” Before I spoke, our Usher Team passed-out brand new, unsharpened pencils to everyone in the audience. The crowd was somewhat confused by this “gift,” but it all made sense at the end of the message and drove home the point quite dramatically.

The Parable...

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1) You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

2) You will experience painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to remain useful and become a better pencil.

3) You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

4) The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5) On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

The Pencil is YOU. If you always remember the 5 Principles of the Pencil, you can – and will -- live a useful and fulfilled life.

1) You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. The pencil can be used to make works of art and tell wonderful stories, but only when placed in the right hands. By itself, it can do nothing.

2) You will experience painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, difficulties and trials, but the sharpening is necessary in order to become a stronger and more useful person.

3) You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them. You have been divinely fitted with an eraser, called “grace.” The Bible claims that "none are perfect, no not one."

4) The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” Jesus on the inside -- working on the outside.

5) On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter where you are or what the situation may be, you are leaving a mark. What type of mark are you leaving with your life?

God designed each of us for a purpose. The reason that we are on this earth is to fulfill the purpose for which God made us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made – and when we allow ourselves to be placed in God’s hand to be used by him, great things are – and will be - the result.

I encourage you today to live the life that God created you to live. Be the gift that God created you to be. Put yourself in the Master's hand and bring glory to your Creator by making your unique mark upon this world.

Balloons and Life

My balloon came down today.

It’s been 18 days since I returned home from India. When I arrived at LAX, I was greeted by a small group of friends and family who welcomed me home with hugs, signs, flower leis and balloons.

Upon getting back to my home, one of the balloons – a blue star – escaped from the rest of the bunch and made a break for freedom. It only got as far as to the top corner of our front room ceiling, however. Our house has vaulted ceilings and the one in the front room is the highest in our entire home, around 20 feet high. So I decided to leave the individualistic-minded balloon alone until it decided to come back down to earth, so-to-speak. I figured that a few days alone would be enough for it, but it had more helium-willpower than I had anticipated, staying nestled smugly aloft for nearly 18 days. Today, somewhat deflated and seemingly dejected, it came down. It's funny that, as long as it stayed up, I didn't give it much thought, but as soon as it came down, everyone noticed it.

So it got me thinking... "What do you do when your balloon comes down?" You see, in our lives there are times of elation and celebration. There are times of victory and big wins. There are times of extreme joy and being on cloud nine. There are times when everything goes great. But after every mountain top there tends to be a valley. So, what do you do when your balloon comes back down to earth?

For the person in sales, it may be the high of closing on a big account and then going into a dry spell of failing to get new accounts. For the medical worker, it may be the elation of saving a life, seeing them recover only to then lose another person the very same week. For the parent, it could be the joy of having children transform into the challenge of dealing with the teenage years. It could be relational. It could be emotional. It could be physical. It could be job-related. However, It’s always personal. Life oftentimes seems like the slogan to ABC’s old series Wide-World of Sports...“The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

So what can we do when the balloons of our lives come crashing back down to earth? Here are a few important reminders -- that will help getting through those "down" times...

1) Realize that Life is Seasonal.
Sometimes we are up, sometimes down. Life has seasons. “To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There is a time to laugh and a time to cry. There is a time to mourn and a time to dance. There is no getting away from the seasons. We just need to recognize them for what they are. The rains of the autumn and winter bring the abundant beauty of the spring.

2) Understand that Tough Times Don’t Last.
Someone said, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” Bumper stickers aside, things DO happen in life. They happen to good people and they happen to bad people. As long as we live in this broken world, we will have to deal with its offspring. But the Bible offers us the hope of a brighter tomorrow; “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalms 30:5). The good news is that tough times, though they be a reality, are only momentary (see 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

3) Through it All, God is With You.
One of the great titles of Jesus, in the Bible, is Emmanuel. That literally means; “God is with us.” What a comforting thought – to know that God IS with us. When we are up or when we are down, God is with us. When we feel good or feel bad, God is with us. When things are going great or when things are seemingly going nowhere, God is with us. He has given us His unbreakable promise that he would be with us always (Matthew 28:20).

Jesus loves us. He cares for us and He cares about us. That is why we should always look to Him. The Bible assures that if we keep trusting in the Lord, we won't be disappointed.

So when your balloon comes down, realize it’s seasonal, understand that it won’t last, and know that God is with you at all times. Be encouraged today. Another flight is on its way.

Yes, my balloon came down today.
But I’m not just a one-balloon life.

Neither are you.