Spiritual relationship help &
Building self esteem
Chicken Soup for the Soul cocreators Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen with Chris Karcher
ABC's Dr. Timothy Johnson,
Finding God in the Questions, and Chris
.
Lee Strobel, The Case for a Creator, and Chris Karcher
Spiritual relationship help &
Building self esteem
Spiritual relationship help &
Building self esteem
Bask in graceful surroundings
Hundreds of children lined the edge of a field dotted in purple, yellow, and pink for the annual community Easter egg hunt. Baskets in hand, one foot in front of the other, the children postured themselves for a quick start. Among the crowd of three-foot-tall participants stood our Erin.
Doting parents that we are, Dave and I coached Erin on the fine art of Easter-egg hunting. Our most astute instruction: “When they say go, run as fast as you can.”
The whistle blew. The field of Easter became a mass of kids. They plucked eggs from the turf and placed them in their Easter baskets.
But where was Erin?
Erin was three. Both Dave and I had always kept a judicious eye on her in public. And now, in seconds, she had disappeared among the swarm of children.
We searched among the egg gatherers for our golden egg. We could not find her, but we found a friend also on the hunt for a lost child.
Praises! At last, we spotted Erin running toward us.
Erin had heeded our lesson well. When the whistle blew, she ran as fast as she could. And ran. And ran. Past all of the eggs, to the other side of the field.
She returned—with an empty basket.
The next year I took Erin to a smaller Easter egg hunt with friends. It began the same way—salivating children waiting to begin the hunt. On the word go, the pack took off.
History repeated itself. This year Erin had company in her sprint across the field. They raced to the far side where the grass appeared greener. And it was greener—because the grass had no eggs in it.
It was fascinating to gaze over the plethora of eggs on the near side of the field as the searchers hunted in vain on the far side. They overlooked what had surrounded them to chase after what they did not have.
When we look too far, we miss what is near.
How often has my neighbor’s grass appeared greener than mine? How many times have I run over the treasures I do have in search of the ones I do not?
Can you relate?
Maybe you have some rotten eggs in your basket. Perhaps you are struggling with relationship problems, financial troubles, or health problems. Maybe you are feeling unfairly accused or under-appreciated. It’s not easy being grateful when eggs rot.
Hear the hope found in Isaiah: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.”[i] “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”[ii]
Exasperated, the Easter egg hunters returned with empty baskets, only to discover what they were searching for lay by the starting line—and had been close to them at the beginning of the hunt.
God “satisfies every need there is.”[iii]
Return to the near side of the field. If you bask in the gifts of grace that surround you, you will be grateful. And your basket will never be empty.
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Copyright © 2003 by Christine N. Karcher. Chris Karcher is the author of Relationships of Grace, Amazing Things I Know About You, and Relationships of Grace Workbook. To order books and tapes, schedule Chris for speaking engagements, or subscribe to Chris’ newsletter, visit www.relationshipsofgrace.com, email order@relationshipsofgrace.com, or call 1-877-GET-GRACE (1-877-438-4722).