I suppose I should explain the title of this blog of mine. During a particularly trying time on my mission, when I couldn't seem to figure out the proper balance between obedience to God's rules and unity with a companion, the following analogy came to me and became a precious symbol of how I want to view my life. I wrote this poem at the time:
The teacher was patiently pacing after passing out printed designs.
She said, "These images are for tracing, but you must color inside the lines."
The children chose each with excitement as they laid out their masterful plans.
How could they have known the incitement to be caused by their colorful crayons?
For at first they were careful and prudent to do just as their teacher had told,
Till a stubborn, rambunctious young student soon grew bored, then he grew bold.
In his chair he would wiggle and fidget, for he hated being told what to do
and with a pudgy and impudent digit, he colored his whole page bright blue.
A neighbor soon noted the error, and he gasped in a terrified dread,
and he hissed at the sinner with terror, "you're not doing what teacher said!"
The line-breaker scowled, indignant, and he grabbed a bright yellow as well.
And the neighbor who'd been so constringent sighed as if his friend would burn in hell.
He would never mistake like his brother. In fact, he was taken aback.
So he drew from the crayonbox another utensil that was simply marked, "Black."
And then with a puritan fervor, staying inside the lines all the way,
in the view of the lawless observer, he covered his whole page dark grey.
Soon the two little boys started fighting, and falsetto insults filled the air
and the quarrel became an igniting as tiny fists pulled tiny hair.
The teacher then stopped both the brawlers, and she gently stroked each tiny head
and she quietly calmed both their hollers, then she asked, "Have you done what I said?"
To the first child she said, "What great color you have added to all your designs,
but your picture would be a lot fuller if you just stayed inside of the lines."
To the second she said, "Oh my child, I'm so glad you respect the confines.
But there are hundreds of crayons, so go wild! You must COLOR inside of the lines.
And above all be kind to each other, so our class is united as one.
If you both were to love your own brother, then you both would be having more fun.
If you just learn this one simple lesson, you can paint masterpieces someday.
When you live by the rules without stressin' you could be a Van Gogh or Monet."
The two boys then hugged one another, and with child-like forgiveness divine,
they grabbed a new paper together,
and they colored inside of the lines.
The teacher was patiently pacing after passing out printed designs.
She said, "These images are for tracing, but you must color inside the lines."
The children chose each with excitement as they laid out their masterful plans.
How could they have known the incitement to be caused by their colorful crayons?
For at first they were careful and prudent to do just as their teacher had told,
Till a stubborn, rambunctious young student soon grew bored, then he grew bold.
In his chair he would wiggle and fidget, for he hated being told what to do
and with a pudgy and impudent digit, he colored his whole page bright blue.
A neighbor soon noted the error, and he gasped in a terrified dread,
and he hissed at the sinner with terror, "you're not doing what teacher said!"
The line-breaker scowled, indignant, and he grabbed a bright yellow as well.
And the neighbor who'd been so constringent sighed as if his friend would burn in hell.
He would never mistake like his brother. In fact, he was taken aback.
So he drew from the crayonbox another utensil that was simply marked, "Black."
And then with a puritan fervor, staying inside the lines all the way,
in the view of the lawless observer, he covered his whole page dark grey.
Soon the two little boys started fighting, and falsetto insults filled the air
and the quarrel became an igniting as tiny fists pulled tiny hair.
The teacher then stopped both the brawlers, and she gently stroked each tiny head
and she quietly calmed both their hollers, then she asked, "Have you done what I said?"
To the first child she said, "What great color you have added to all your designs,
but your picture would be a lot fuller if you just stayed inside of the lines."
To the second she said, "Oh my child, I'm so glad you respect the confines.
But there are hundreds of crayons, so go wild! You must COLOR inside of the lines.
And above all be kind to each other, so our class is united as one.
If you both were to love your own brother, then you both would be having more fun.
If you just learn this one simple lesson, you can paint masterpieces someday.
When you live by the rules without stressin' you could be a Van Gogh or Monet."
The two boys then hugged one another, and with child-like forgiveness divine,
they grabbed a new paper together,
and they colored inside of the lines.
I love this poem. Yes I am biased toward mortenson poetry, but that doesn't change the message. I love how simple stories can illustrate great truths. Thanks for blogging! And have a blast in India!
ReplyDelete