How to Stop a Thief

            Have you heard this one before? When they want to punish a thief, the Eskimos will take him before the community, and subject him to laughter. Supposedly, this action holds theft in check.

            This may be apocryphal (I spent some time this morning trying to validate this information, and while I found it referenced in several places, I was not able to validate it to my satisfaction), but I believe the reason this story is told so much is because it strikes a chord within all of us.

            We do not like to be laughed at. This fear drives many people.

            I heard one speaker talk about our fear of laughter. He used teenagers as an example. How many times do teenagers make decisions based upon their fear of their friends laughing at them? Furthermore, how many times the adults do the same thing?

            More than ever, I am reminded of what the author of Hebrews emphasizes: the voice we must listen to is God's. The audience we must play to is God.

            To do so takes great courage, but it is a essential for Christlikeness—and for healthy living.

The Onion

         Someone sent this poem to me back in the 1990s. I thought some of you might enjoy it.

           

The Onion

I was an onion before Christ set me free.

Layers upon layers of iniquity.

An ugly old onion whose fragrance was strong;

That my Jesus bought and loved all along.

Unknown to me what He was going to do.

Of what He was planning, I had not a clue.

Pulling each layer off one by one.

In order to make me more like Jesus the Son.

The first layer wasn't so bad.

I saw all the sins that I knew I had.

They were easy to fix, just change the way I talk.

And learn more of how He wanted me to walk.

Reading His Word, and learning again;

How to put aside my life of sin.

But the next layer was pulled which hurt more.

He was getting closer to the core.  

Unknown what He would find there.

I simply gave it to Him in prayer.

As another layer was removed, He started to cry;

Pulling this layer brought pain to my Father on High.

And I was crying over the sadness I felt;

The brokenness and all of the guilt.

Past memories that I thought were gone;

Were buried under layers disguised in a fragrance so strong.

As we peel onion more and more;

They put tears in our eyes as we get closer to the core.

So my Father wept over my pain;

Giving me a balm of comfort and strength to sustain.

“NO MORE LAYERS,” I would scream.

As He continued to peel them off of me.

“I'll have nothing left my Lord, what will I do?

I'll be nothing but a worthless core to you."

But He just said, “Trust me,” and continued to peel,

I thought He was blinded  to my pain that was so real. 

Year after year I shrunk more and >>more;

Until all that was left of this onion was an unsightly core.

It was then that I began to understand;

As the Lord embraced me in His loving hand.

He said, now and only now can you be;

The creation that will minister before me.

Clothed with the righteousness only from above;

Gone are your layers of self

so you can be filled with my love.

He took my layers of sin, hurt and pain;

And clothed me with love, truth and mercy in His name.

Yes, we are all onions, learning with each day;

How to overcome as each layer is taken away.

Some layers tear and pull and our heart;

While others grieve us to our innermost part.

But we are nothing but an ugly onion without Christ.

Layers upon layers of pride, sin and strife.

Only God can take those layers away.

And clothe us with His righteousness in that final day.           

All through this day Oh Lord,

let me touch as many lives as possible for Thee,

and every life I touch, do thou by Thy Holy Spirit

quicken, whether by the words I speak

or the life I live for Jesus sake.

--Amen.