Trust in the Lord

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).