There was a young boy who lived with his father on a farm.

The father loved his son so much. He was born while his mother died during birth.

Day by day the father saw this young boy growing up, and the son was supplied with all his needs. He was well provided. The son was protected and became a bit spoiled due to the undivided attention he got.

One day, the boy saw an egg on the chicken farm and was quite fond of it. He played with it and decided to make sure he will be a good “dad” to the baby chick. He brought it home one day and excitedly told his father who was preparing supper for them. Once his father saw it, his face grew red and hurriedly took the egg and threw it out. When the father returned, he sternly told his son not to return to the chicken farm.

The boy was so shocked by his father's actions, that he ran away before his father even had the chance to explain. Every time the father tried to explain why he did it, the boy just refused to listen and just told his dad that he’s moved on from it. The boy cried almost every night knowing that he will not see the baby chick in his arms. From that day forward, the boy decided that he will be a better dad than his father. He will never treat his son like that, he says.

Days went by and the boy became a rebellious teenager and found himself in fights and mischiefs. His dad bailed him out several times. Eventually, the young man left the farmhouse and his ageing father to search for his life in the big city. The boy resented his father and saw him as an unreasonable strict authoritarian dictator. He planned his life without his father in it. But his father made sure his son go to the best school, so he set up his education fund. The resentful son did not even acknowledge his father's support. He thought it’s his job anyway to provide for him.

His father sent him letters every week but never got a reply. Years went by, and the son, now a successful lawyer, in the city was living the life that he dreamed of. He met his beautiful wife and had their baby as well. He loved his own child, and then suddenly remembered how his dad loved him dearly when he was at the same age.

He finally decided to open the last letter that he received from his dad and this is what he read:

“My dear son,

I miss you so much! When you were growing up, you reminded me so much of your mother every day and I promised her that I will look after you the best way I can. I tried my best but I know I did not do a very good job at times. I hope you have forgiven me by now. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I tried to explain to you why I did what I did but you won’t give me a chance. Remember the chicken egg? I knew I will have to break your heart but I have to throw it away because it wasn’t a chicken egg, my son. I’ve been a farmer all my life and I know immediately that you were holding an egg that will soon hatch and we needed to let it go.

My son, that was an egg of a deadly brown snake!

I have to make sure you don’t return to the chicken farm because there might be more big snakes that I need to get rid of first.

PS, by the time you have read this letter, I may already be in my grave. My doctor told me I only have a few days to live because of a cancer in my lungs that developed due to my exposure to the farm chemicals I used over the years. I will leave all my inheritance to you and your family. Please give my hugs to your wife and my dear grandchild. How I wished I could have seen him before I go.

I love you son, and again I hope you have forgiven me.”

With love,

Dad “

Tears suddenly flowed through the son’s eyes and held his own child for a long time on that day, with the crumpled letter of his dad in his left hand.

—-

This story reminded me of how we treat our loving heavenly Father. He gave his everything to us - even gave his own self in the form of his beloved son Jesus Christ. We were protected, we were loved beyond measure. Because of that love, he gave us a set of rules to keep us away from danger -the deadly brown snake.

But we think that those laws were there to restrict our freedoms. We feel like God is not giving us any choice to live a full life. We think it’s better if we create our own rules and live a life “free” from him. We don’t realise that living apart from God is living apart from the life-giver. Without God, we will lose our lives, for eternity.

The Father has sent us a letter (Bible) to remind us how he loved us and explained to us why he has to do certain things in certain ways. The problem with us is that we don’t even want to give him a chance and open that letter so we can understand his point of view. We are too proud and arrogant as we have achieved our successes without him anyway, so we thought. We ignore the life that only He can give us.

I hope you read the Father’s letter each day. The laws of God are not there to restrict your freedoms but to protect you. Know that you are loved beyond measure.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16"; "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. - Ecclesiastes 12:13"

rfm

www.reasonofthehope.org

14/11/2021