Once upon a time in a jungle far from here the animals were putting a jigsaw puzzle together. The massive elephant put his huge piece into the puzzle. They all stood back and tried to guess what the picture was.
“It looks like a dog,” said the gentle giraffe. “Here, wait until I put my piece in.” And the giraffe put in his piece of the puzzle.
“No, definitely not a dog, definitely not a dog,” chattered the monkey as he swung by and dropped his piece in.
“Hmm…it looks more like a tree,” said the beautiful parrot as she flew by and dropped her piece in.
“Yes,” roared the ferocious lion. “There is a tree there. But that is not the entire picture. I am sure that my piece will enlighten us as to what the whole picture is.” And he dropped in his piece.
The animals all stood back and looked. They could see parts of the picture, but they still could not figure out what the whole picture was. There was still one huge piece of the puzzle missing.
“OK, who has the last piece,” roared the lion?
The monkey jumped to the highest tree and chattered, “not me, not me! But I will see if I can spot it from up here.”
Each animal in turn shook their heads and reiterated, “Not me, not me!”
“Excuse me,” said a small quivering voice.
“Did you hear something,” asked the ferocious lion?
“Excuse me,” said the small quivering voice a little louder.
The lion looked down beside his paw where the small voice had come from, and there was a little insignificant ant.
“What do you want,” roared the lion?
“E-e-excuse me,” stuttered the insignificant quivering ant, “but I am glad you finally heard me. I know my voice is very small and I am the most insignificant of all the animals, but I think I can help you.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” the lion roared with laughter. And all the animals joined in the laughter.
“How could you help us, chuckled the lion? “You are so small. How could you have the missing piece to the puzzle? Why, it is a million times bigger than you are. Now go away and let us figure out our puzzle. We don’t want to listen to anyone as insignificant as you. We don’t need your help!”
And all the animal turned their backs on the insignificant ant. The ant’s heart sank. He turned around, his head hanging low in humiliation as he crawled back through the jungle to the spot where the missing piece of the puzzle lay, hidden beneath the undergrowth.
I Corinthians 12: 20-25 “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have ho need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to the part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
WHEN HAVE YOU SHOWN PREFERENCE FOR THOSE IN THE CHURCH THAT ARE TALENTED, STRONG LEADERS, OR WHAT WE VIEW AS BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, EVEN IF ONLY IN YOUR MIND?
HOW DO YOU VIEW YOUR VALUE TO THE BODY OF CHRIST?
WHAT COULD YOU DO TO CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF YOURSELF AND YOUR VIEW OF OTHERS IN THE CHURCH?
ONCE UPON A TIME 