The Kingdom of Heaven is Like Supper

At our supper tonight (5 Dec 2005), Sharon made fried rice and cooked peas - a simple meal, but nonetheless tasty and nutritious. While this is not the family favorite as far as meal menus go, 4 year old Matthew especially seems to not appreciate it. As a special treat, everyone was promised a cookie for dessert IF they finished all the food on their plate. Matthew knew how much work he had put into helping Sharon make the cookies a couple days before and he really wanted one, but he REALLY didn't want to finish the food on his plate. I coaxed, I urged, I threatened, I encouraged, etc... I REALLY wanted him to get his cookie. So, realizing that he will eventually learn to like this food, even without eating an entire plate of his less liked food, and by setting boundaries that he HAD to reach (though much less than an entire plate full) I took his fork and ate a large portion of his food. I then stayed by his side and continued to encourage him and help him to eat the small portion that I had left for him. Then we rejoiced together as he slowly ate his cookie.

God has done the same for us. The difficulty to get to Heaven is large - a whole plate full. Much of it is not our favorite. But the plate must be empty to get the delicious reward of Heaven. God could see that, for a variety of reasons, we could not eat that whole plate alone. But He wants us to have the cookie so badly, that He took a bite, then another and another and another and left us with just a very small part of the not favorite food to eat ourselves. Even then He is by our side to encourage and help us to finish that miniscule amount. If we have submitted to His athority and eaten the portion He left for us, then very soon, He'll come back with the cookie, and we will savor it for all eternity. Mmmmmmmm......I can taste it now.