Parable 30 - Old Jessie

She woke up and knew what she had to do. Debra Jean would stand firm and not allow her husband, Jim, to put that dog down. The conversation in the kitchen got heated.

“Why the hell shouldn’t I shoot that dog? A coon dog that ain’t never treed a coon ain’t worth the food we feed it.”

“I’ll tell you why,” Debra Jean said, “because I’ve got a feeling about that dog. One of these days Old Jessie might just prove to be the best dog we’ve ever owned. From the time he was learning to run, I’ve said that little guy has got an old soul.”

“But Old Jessie has already proved to be the worst dog we’ve ever had. I say we put him down.”

“And I say, I’ll put you down before you put that dog down.”

“Aw, Debra Jean, be reasonable. You know I love you and would do anything for you, but the dog ain’t right. We’d be doing it a favor by putting it down. Why are you so attached to this pup anyway?”

Debra Jean turned away from Jim and looked at the sink. “Don’t laugh, but I had a dream about him. I know he’s only a year old, but I saw that dog through the years in this dream, and all I can tell you, Jim, is that we have to keep the dog. There’s something special about him.”

Debra Jean would not back down, and Jim deferred to his wife. They kept Old Jessie.

One day, when their toddler was out playing, a mountain lion came into the farmyard, ready to pounce on the child. Old Jessie began to bark and then ran right toward the mountain lion.

Debra Jean came running, scooped up the child, and hurried inside. Somehow Old Jessie survived the fight.

Another time, Old Jessie fought off a robber trying to break into the house. The greatest part about Old Jessie, though, was that he loved to be petted and play with the family. The kids loved Old Jessie, who lived 16 years.

Meditation

Our scripture today links Jesus to God the Father in a powerful way. Jesus can do only that which the Father does. And so it is with us, too. Creation is in the hands of God. Most of us occasionally wonder about what is possible. Without God nothing is possible, because God is essential to life.

The life we have experienced, and the life we share with our children and grandchildren, sets the stage for all that is to come. We can do nothing apart from it. This is why we must reflect on our lives if we are to see what is possible. There is that which has happened in the past, but we can also recognize what we long to do, even when we have never done it. God puts in us holy desires for new things. When we act upon these holy desires, we sometimes bring into the world a brand-new creation.

It’s likely that God is calling us to build something this Lenten season—perhaps a bridge to a fractured relationship, maybe a new exercise routine to get healthy, or possibly a deeper prayer life to become closer to God. With God all things are possible. Let’s pick up the hammer and build the treehouse that our Father has put in our imagination.

Water the seed and ask yourself...

What is God showing me how to build?