Everything seemed normal at Jack and
Lorna Jensen's place. It was such a pretty little house along a
quiet street and passersby at this time of year would sometimes check
to see if her tulips were up yet. Everyone knew that her flowers were
the cheeriest, the healthiest looking in the neighbourhood, and it
was a sight to behold once they were all budding. The blooms didn't
stop with tulips either. Once they were beginning to fade other
flowers took their place, and it was an un-going session until
blankets of snow created a new type of beauty.
It wasn't only outside though, that
everything appeared to be normal. As the sky paled to peach and an
azure blue, the alarm went of somewhere in a bedroom. Soon that was
followed by lights switching on here and there, the clink of dishes
on the table and other sounds that came when the couple started their
day.
The ping of the microwave was next,
followed by the whistle of the kettle. Everything seemed normal. So
normal. Soon the sound of Jack and Lorna's chairs being pushed to the
table, and the rustling of thin paper could be heard. Jack's deep
baritone read a scripture for their morning devotions, and he prayed.
The days lengthened and grew warmer,
but eventually the neighbours noticed that things were not quite the
same. Just little things, mind you, but changes none the less. For
one thing Lorna wasn't getting around to weeding her tulips! Strange!
And when they were faded, they weren't even replaced! Stranger yet!
And why was Jack neglecting to mow the lawn? It was always so
immaculate; his pride and joy!
Finally someone knocked on the door to
investigate. No one was home! They spotted a tape recorder on the
table that appeared to automatically rewind and play the same daily
sounds from morn until night, then start again the next morning.
Robots that looked just like Jack and Lorna went around automatically
doing ordinary things.
Does everything seem normal at your
place? Are you going through the motions of living a Christian life
but the Spirit has moved out and you are on autopilot? Do you know
when things began to change? Are the flowers of friendliness and
hospitality blooming in your front yard? Are you so used to following
the 'correct formula' that you don't sense that the 'abundant life'
is only a faint memory?
Wake up!
No comments :
Post a Comment