Parable of the Popper

While no one does any job in this life perfectly, we always have the choice to do our personal best or just trudge along. Sometimes we can do more than at other times. But, we always have the choice to bless others with our talents, no matter how meager, or to keep them all to ourselves. For when we choose not to give our personal best we are doing exactly that: withholding our God given talents - which have been given to us to help bless the lives of others. To help illustrate this point, one of my church leaders gave us the following parable to ponder.

Parable of the Popper

Behold at the time of harvest the ears of corn did bring forth kernels, which were dried and prepared for the popper's hand. And then it was that the popper did take the kernels, all of which did appear alike unto him, and did apply the oil and the heat. And lo, it came to pass that when the heat was on, some did explode with promise and did magnify themselves an hundred fold, and some did burst forth with whiteness, which did both gladden the eye and satisfy the taste of the popper. 

And likewise, some others did pop, but not too much. But lo, there were some that did just lie there and even though the popper's heat was alike unto all, they did bask in the warmth of the oil and kept everything they had for themselves. 

And so it came to pass that those which had given of themselves did bring joy and delight to many munchers, but those which kept of the warmth and did not burst forth were fit only to be cast out in the pail and were thought of with hardness and disgust. 

And thus we see that in the beginning all appear alike, but when the heat is on, some come forth and give their all, while others fail to pop and verily become like chaff, to be discarded and forgotten.