"The Wasp Nest" (a devotional, in short story/parable form)
I used to live in Chappaqua, N.Y. We moved there in 1958, and it was my home until 1966. Our property was the only property with a hill that went from the Crab Apple tree, at the corner of the road, and ended near the great Oak tree which was the bottom of the hill which was in our back yard. In wintertime, when it snowed, all the kids came to slide down the hill on their sleds. Even Ned and Billy, the neighborhood bullies. "Ned and Billy? really dad? seriously?
One of the neighbors that lived in back of our home had a pet crow named "Herman" who often flew and landed on my swing set, and perched on top, would "caw" at me to jump up and touch his tail feather, which I did when I was swinging. As a matter of fact, the squeaky noise of the swings would invite Herman to come.
Then, the Woodberrys had a cat, who had a romance with our cat "Shan" and she had 2 kittens (Sammie and Suki) as a result.
The neighbors were friendly and we all had good relationships. There were even "Bus Mothers" who would wait at the bus stop in the mornings with the kids.
Now in the back of our house, just In front of a wooden fence was a tree which was for the most part quite dead. It happened that one summer, wasps built a "Jack-O-Lantern" type nest which hung from one of the thick branches. My dad noticed it and decided that "one day" he would get rid of it. He told me many times: "Jimmie, stay away from the wasp nest"
Now, Jimmie was quite curious, but remembering what dad told me, I did stay a distance. But that distance shortened day by day. "Jimmie," dad said, "didn't I tell you to stay away from the wasp nest?" "OK dad," and I backed off a bit.
Now it happened that one day, I got a step closer than comfort and the wasp king must have noticed that a human was coming too close, and he must have sent one of the dive bombers to attack the daring human who was just "too close."
Yeah, you know it. A wasp came at me and somehow, got under my shorts and started to sting me with all its might. I jumped up and down yelling and screaming. Mom and dad came running, pulled me into the downstairs basement, and pulled off my shorts, and there it was, digging its stinger into the side of my leg. My dad cried "Get out of there!" and lifted his hand to swat the wasp but just then, it flew away out the door.
Now, I was really mad, not only was I in pain, but that dive bomber got away and had returned to the "base nest" to give a report to the wasp king. dad told me; "I told you, but you didn't listen. The wasp did what was natural for him to do, defend the nest."
But that night, we got even. Dad and I got a plastic bag and in the dead of night, we went out back and when all the wasps were asleep, dad put the bag under the nest, got a ladder, and cut the branch so that the nest ended up inside the bag. We put the bag in the "leaf burner basket" then, dad struck a match and in the middle of the leaves, the wasp nest and plastic burst into flames. "We sent those wasps to hell, didn't we dad?" "I guess so Jimmie" replied my dad, "I guess so."
Our Heavenly Father also loves us so much that he wrote His Holy Book with a lot of instructions. They are "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth" (So, that what "Bible" means!) But many times, his instructions are "NO" and "DON'T" There are 249 positive commandments, and 365 negative commandments. (and you thought there were just 10)
The "Torah" (another word for "Bible") is like a "fence" and within this fence is where we need to dwell. To go outside the fence and venture out into prohibited activities, getting closer to "wasp-like" sins, we are inviting "stings" Some might be very painful, and some might be deadly. The "sin-stings" might come in the form of depression, distress, broken marriages, disease, accidents, job loss. (of course, at times, God brings these as testings to prove us worthy)
God says NO at times because He knows what is good for us, and what we need. We might not want to hear NO, but He still says NO to many things which are tempting. I know, breakfast pork sausage smells good, shrimp scampi, lobster tails, crabs, crawfish, etc...Yet our heavenly Father says NO. (Read Leviticus 11)
If we are His children, we will want to obey His commandments, out of love, and out of respect for who God is. He is our creator, and we are part of His divine family. We do not want to be disobedient children, but children of obedience. He is saying NO many times in this present world to get us ready for the World to Come.
So, stay within the Fence of the Torah, or get "stung."
I used to live in Chappaqua, N.Y. We moved there in 1958, and it was my home until 1966. Our property was the only property with a hill that went from the Crab Apple tree, at the corner of the road, and ended near the great Oak tree which was the bottom of the hill which was in our back yard. In wintertime, when it snowed, all the kids came to slide down the hill on their sleds. Even Ned and Billy, the neighborhood bullies. "Ned and Billy? really dad? seriously?
One of the neighbors that lived in back of our home had a pet crow named "Herman" who often flew and landed on my swing set, and perched on top, would "caw" at me to jump up and touch his tail feather, which I did when I was swinging. As a matter of fact, the squeaky noise of the swings would invite Herman to come.
Then, the Woodberrys had a cat, who had a romance with our cat "Shan" and she had 2 kittens (Sammie and Suki) as a result.
The neighbors were friendly and we all had good relationships. There were even "Bus Mothers" who would wait at the bus stop in the mornings with the kids.
Now in the back of our house, just In front of a wooden fence was a tree which was for the most part quite dead. It happened that one summer, wasps built a "Jack-O-Lantern" type nest which hung from one of the thick branches. My dad noticed it and decided that "one day" he would get rid of it. He told me many times: "Jimmie, stay away from the wasp nest"
Now, Jimmie was quite curious, but remembering what dad told me, I did stay a distance. But that distance shortened day by day. "Jimmie," dad said, "didn't I tell you to stay away from the wasp nest?" "OK dad," and I backed off a bit.
Now it happened that one day, I got a step closer than comfort and the wasp king must have noticed that a human was coming too close, and he must have sent one of the dive bombers to attack the daring human who was just "too close."
Yeah, you know it. A wasp came at me and somehow, got under my shorts and started to sting me with all its might. I jumped up and down yelling and screaming. Mom and dad came running, pulled me into the downstairs basement, and pulled off my shorts, and there it was, digging its stinger into the side of my leg. My dad cried "Get out of there!" and lifted his hand to swat the wasp but just then, it flew away out the door.
Now, I was really mad, not only was I in pain, but that dive bomber got away and had returned to the "base nest" to give a report to the wasp king. dad told me; "I told you, but you didn't listen. The wasp did what was natural for him to do, defend the nest."
But that night, we got even. Dad and I got a plastic bag and in the dead of night, we went out back and when all the wasps were asleep, dad put the bag under the nest, got a ladder, and cut the branch so that the nest ended up inside the bag. We put the bag in the "leaf burner basket" then, dad struck a match and in the middle of the leaves, the wasp nest and plastic burst into flames. "We sent those wasps to hell, didn't we dad?" "I guess so Jimmie" replied my dad, "I guess so."
Our Heavenly Father also loves us so much that he wrote His Holy Book with a lot of instructions. They are "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth" (So, that what "Bible" means!) But many times, his instructions are "NO" and "DON'T" There are 249 positive commandments, and 365 negative commandments. (and you thought there were just 10)
The "Torah" (another word for "Bible") is like a "fence" and within this fence is where we need to dwell. To go outside the fence and venture out into prohibited activities, getting closer to "wasp-like" sins, we are inviting "stings" Some might be very painful, and some might be deadly. The "sin-stings" might come in the form of depression, distress, broken marriages, disease, accidents, job loss. (of course, at times, God brings these as testings to prove us worthy)
God says NO at times because He knows what is good for us, and what we need. We might not want to hear NO, but He still says NO to many things which are tempting. I know, breakfast pork sausage smells good, shrimp scampi, lobster tails, crabs, crawfish, etc...Yet our heavenly Father says NO. (Read Leviticus 11)
If we are His children, we will want to obey His commandments, out of love, and out of respect for who God is. He is our creator, and we are part of His divine family. We do not want to be disobedient children, but children of obedience. He is saying NO many times in this present world to get us ready for the World to Come.
So, stay within the Fence of the Torah, or get "stung."
