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Who Moved My Jesus?
by Al Boyce For those who have not read "Who Moved My Cheese," I'll offer a brief synopsis before beginning "the rest of the story." Four characters -- two mice and two small humans -- live in a maze and look for cheese, symbolizing happiness and success. Once they find cheese, everyone is happy. But when cheese runs out, the humans spend their time pointing fingers and lamenting, while the mice work to find more cheese. Ultimately, the humans "evolve" into beings who philosophically accept the constant quest for cheese. OK. As a Christian, I had some concerns about worshipping cheese from the get-go. So here is how I proposed completing the story: ------- There was someone else in the maze besides the mice and men -- a small human in well-worn robes. When he first entered the maze, he prayed and felt called to explore it until he had discovered every corner. Along the way he, too, found some cheese. He gave thanks to God and ate some, then saved some for later. When he found Sniff and Scramble, still looking for their cheese, he paused and gave them his cheese, saying, "Please take this as a gift of God and a demonstration of my faith that He will always provide for my needs." He wandered further and found Hem and Haw in their elaborate Cheese Station 3. "What can I offer these two," he wondered to himself. "They have more cheese than I can offer, yet they are empty inside. Still, the only language they understand right now is the language of cheese." He spoke to them briefly. Hem and Haw were slightly upset that he had stumbled upon their cheese stash. They worried he might want some for himself. But he said only, "I see that God has blessed you with much. I pray that you are worthy stewards of this blessing. What you give away he will return many times over." They exchanged puzzled looks as if to say, "What, is he crazy? He thinks we'll give away this cheese after all our hard work?" And the man in well-worn robes went on his way. He continued to find cheese when he needed it. But he also found that God led him down paths he would never have chosen; paths that led to wonderful enlightenment and peace. Sometimes he went days without finding cheese, but he had prophetic visions that foretold of how he would one day help many others find hope -- hope beyond cheese. When Hem and Haw ran out of cheese, when Hem had his "rebirth" and learned the value of embracing change, the first seeds were sewn for them to find true happiness. But there was also the clear danger that this "awakening" would simply lead them into a new maze -- with different "cheese." Was Hem really better off, now that he was able to quickly adjust to finding cheese? At the end of the day, the meaning of his life was still tied to cheddar, or mozzarella; gouda or camembert. The man in the worn robes returned to find Hem trying to prosyletize Haw on the merits of his new-found "religion." "Welcome stranger," Hem said. "You may be interested in hearing this as well. I am trying to convince my friend, Haw, to give up his useless attempt to hold on to the same old cheese and embrace a new life of ever-changing cheese!" The robed man looked puzzled, then said, "Certainly it is better to be open to change than to be mired in the old ways. But you have simply gone from worshipping cheese to worshipping the pursuit of cheese. Both are false gods. At the end of the day, Haw will be suffering whether he has cheese or not, because he will always be afraid it may go away. You are certainly better off, for you know you will always find cheese. But at the end of the day, cheese is all you will have." "Well, what do YOU suggest," sneered Hem. "You have been wandering this maze as long as the rest of us and you have no more cheese than you had when you started." "But I have shared what I had with the mice," the man said. "And they begun to understand that God will provide for them as long as they follow His path -- regardless of whether it leads to cheese. "I have seen every corner of this maze and never have I been in want. Never have I feared I would run out of cheese. Never have I worried about finding new and better ways to rationalize my pursuit of cheese." He paused, then added, "Every time I take a step for God, He magnifies my efforts. He blesses me with new gifts. He empowers me to be greater than I was. "God has showed me something even more wonderful -- the way OUT of the maze, into a world of freedom and beauty and glory. I came back to share that with you. If you listen to His voice, instead of your stomach's grumbling for cheese, He will lead you there as well." With that, the robed man raised is hands, whispered a prayer, and disappeared in a brilliant blaze of light. Hem and Haw exchanged glances, then each dropped his piece of cheese. They tentatively joined hands, bowed their heads, and prayed -- for the first of many times. Al Boyce is a former writer and reporter for The Associated Press. He lives in Raleigh, NC, where he now writes for God. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |