Throw It Out the Window!

for Sunday, January 29, 2012
4th Sunday after Epiphany
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
lectionary focus: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
inspirations: Family Story #1–Throw It Out the Window!
(Thanks Mom and Dad for keeping us a storytelling family.);
and the good example set in this post by Rosa Say.
note: Alright. In light of this Sunday’s difficult scripture selections, this is a sermon for the parents. 🙂

Good morning!

One summer when I was a little kid, my family was on an adventure. It was a really hot day, so for the car ride home, we each got an ice cream cone treat. My sister was fairly young, and frankly, her ice cream cone was rather large. There she sat in the backseat of the car, doing a good job of eating it. But the weather was so hot, the ice cream was melting faster than she could lick! Soon it was running down her hands and down her arms and making a big mess. Finally, she gave up and said, “Daddy, I can’t finish this ice cream. It’s melting all over me.”
My dad was driving the car and said, “Well then, just throw it out the window.”
My sister replied, “But Daddy…”
And my dad interrupted, saying, “Go ahead. Throw it out the window.”
Again, my sister said, “But Daddy…”
And again, with a little less patience, my dad said, “Throw it out the window, now!”
But my sister still said, “But Daddy…”
So in exasperation, my dad said, “THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW!!!” and he reached around and grabbed the cone from her hand and threw it out the window.
And my sister calmly replied, “But Daddy, the window is closed.”
There. Stuck and dripping on the inside of the car window was my sister’s melting ice cream cone.

When we know how we would solve a problem, we think that we know what someone else should do to solve theirs.

In our Bible story today, we are reminded again that God wants us to help each other, that we are here to take care of each other. But when we help someone solve their problem, we must listen to their whole story. We must see their problem through their eyes. Then we can offer help that is not best for us, but help that is best for them.

Will you pray with me? (This is an echo prayer: the leader says a line and the children repeat it.)

Dear Lord,
Thank You
for those who help me.
Help me
to help others
by seeing their problem
through their eyes.
Amen

We are not Christians alone. My mission is to share, inspire, and encourage.