My brother told me an amusing story recently about his two pre-teenage daughters. His daughters were laughing but starting to fight over a pair of socks that one of his daughters was going to give away and that the other daughter had taken for her own. Each girl claimed that the socks really belonged to her. They had borrowed the socks back and forth for a few days, but the conflict over ownership began to escalate, and my brother had to step in and try to settle the matter.
It wasn't clear to my brother who really should own the socks. This was one of those parenting dilemmas that wasn't easy to settle. My brother told me, "It was not at all clear to me who deserved the socks. Hence I finally decided to give each of them a sock. Both were somewhat satisfied. Then, as I left, I heard the older one say that she was going to cut her sock in half with scissors to make two socks. I immediately went back in, gave both socks to my younger daughter, and then read them the story of Solomon and the two mothers."
I'm not sure about his parenting skills, but this story made me laugh. Have you read the story of Solomon and the two mothers (1 Kings 3:16-28)? If not, you should. It's a great account of King Solomon's wise ruling and his ability to bring justice to an incredibly difficult situation. The reason I like this story is because truth and goodness win in the end and the situation is perfectly resolved. I wish this story was the way things typically worked in this life. Unfortunately life is a lot messier. Sin and selfishness are pervasive, and injustice and evil often win the day. Have you ever been mistreated? Have you ever been taken advantage of? Have you experienced disappointment or heartbreak? Have you ever cried out to God and asked him to fix the mess that you find yourself in? All of us have or will experience injustice in this life, and yet, deep in our hearts we all cry out for things to be made right. In our heart of hearts, we know that good should win in the end, but we often don't see its victory or experience the triumph of goodness in our daily lives. We are often left disappointed or even jaded. But, don't give up hope.
The Christian story is one of hope. We believe that God and His goodness will have the final word at the end of all things. Each of us will experience heartbreak and injustices while we walk this earth, but that isn't the end of the story. In the midst of your disappointments, look to the One who will one day proclaim, "It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega....I am making everything new."
Tristan Borland - Riverview Church
