When we left off yesterday our hero's Rocky, the flying squirrel, ad Bullwinkle, the moose, were busy trying to keep an evil plan by Boris and Natasha, the bad guys, from destroying all that is and will be good. Let's join our hero's valiant fight!
It would be wise of us to assess the need for the parade in the first place. Why have a parade when someone or someones actions will be to douse the fire with a bucket of water. Just why do we have a fire in our parade in the first place? Good question! My parade is mine and mine alone. I pick the music, the various individuals, the theme and the Grand Marshall. Just where that fine line is between sharing my parade and imposing my parade varies. For some, I'm not forward enough and for others I'm to forward and intrusive into others lives. If we could abandon the parade we would stagnate and die. If we try to move the parade on by sheer force; the opposition will only be stronger. The tug of war would produce nothing but exhausted people! Everyone is entitled to their own parade. Everyone has the choice to be a part of my parade or even your parade.
The world seeks to impose their parade on everyone. Some follow and some rebel. I'm from the later group. I used to be an advocate but now am ready for combat should it come to that. So, what happened to bring me to a place of change? It's what NOT happened that I want to share. Everything that "I" tried failed. There may have been temporary successes but there were more failures. Even the successes eventually failed. Being the individual I am (stubborn), I sought the parade that most resembled what I believed. Even that failed! So, what was I to do? Throw up my hands and do nothing? Yep.
When we come to a bridge over a canyon we have two choices if we want to get to the other side. We can drive across the bridge or walk down into the canyon and climb up the other side. The one resembles the surrender to the better way while the other is the stance of "no one can tell me what to do!" Yes, I did go through the hard lesson way. No, it didn't work for me. Neither did the next canyon or the next canyon and on and on. People were stopping and getting out of the parade as well and leaving on another parade. The more the abandonment the less I trusted others. Finally the day came when I was the only one in my parade. Those around me were also without people in their parade. What to do?!
No, a flying squirrel and a moose cannot fix this. But then, neither could I fix anything. The wheels even had fallen off my clown car! Admitting I couldn't handle the parade myself was a very difficult thing for me to do. Looking at my life and what it had become I knew something had to give. In order for the parade to start back up there needed to be someone who knew the way to the station. My choices were limited. I could be stubborn and miss the parade or I could be selfish and take the offer of free help of a new Grand Marshal. That was what I did. My Grand Marshal is so good at what he does that I very seldom try to run the show myself. It's become better over the years and many have joined the parade because of what He does.
The only way to not let rain on the parade is to not own the parade in the first place. The only move to make was to no move at all. It's then that the relaxing and comfort feeling enter in. It's my hope that I can share Jesus in a new way to someone who is having problems with their parade.
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