Trust
in the Lord. Reading classic children’s stories is always fun
and often effective in teaching moral lessons: Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes,
Aesop’s Fables, Grimm’s Fairy Tales. I remembered a Grimm story last week when
the church building was inexplicably invaded
by dozens of flies. As we passed the flyswatter around after church, I transported in
my mind back to The Brave Little Tailor, whose miniature bravado won
gigantic fame.
A
brave little tailor took a break one day to munch on toast with jam. But the
flies in his shop were overly interested in his sweet snack. Swatting at them
with a swish of his hand, he killed seven flies with one swing. Being immensely
pleased with himself, he made himself a belt with his accomplishment sewn into
the leather, “Seven At One Blow,” and set out beyond his shop to seek his
fortune. The slogan on the belt, which the tailor wore proudly wherever he
went, was incrementally misinterpreted to represent greater and greater
accomplishments by various townspeople, giants, soldiers, and then the king. But
at each phase, the brave little tailor managed to survive and succeed, largely
because of his dumb luck. Eventually, the king was so impressed with the brave
little tailor’s feats of accomplishment that he gave him his daughter’s hand in
marriage. The apparent moral of that story is: set out to seek your fortune.
These
folk stories are particularly wild, and some are undeniably scary, but they
share something in common: they persuade children to behave in society. Tactics
have changed, but frightening children into cultural compliance is as common in
the modern world as it was in the Medieval Period. Threats, however, have never
been the best parenting technique! Far better than Grimm’s methodology of Behave
Or Else is the Solomonic tone of the Proverbs: revere the Lord and trust
him by trusting us, your parents, as the Lord’s provision for you to learn wisdom.
Not everyone in life is trustworthy, therefore, trust us as you trust the Lord.
Trust in the Lord
with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make
straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your
bones (Prov. 3:5-8).