James’ Fables

There was once a man and his wife with a house full of boys.  The man and his boys worked hard and played hard, and were very hard on their clothes.  In each load of laundry that the woman washed was another pair of pants with a new hole in it, or with a place that had worn through.

She sighed, wondered why men were so careless, and put another patch on their pants.  It was not easy work, and it was never-ending.  But for her labor, their carelessness would have been very expensive.  Sometimes their carelessness raised her ire; but she fought it down, and applied yet another patch.

For all this her anger was not turned away, and her hand stitched out still (another patch).

One day one boy finally noticed his pants.  He began to count.  There were eight patches, large and small.  There were patches on top of worn-through patches.  That pair of pants suddenly became his favorite.  He pointed out his discovery to his brothers.  They were all in awe of their quiet, hard-working, uncomplaining, all-sacrificing mother.  Each went to her and expressed their love and gratitude for the unending work of redemption that she did.

And each became more careful in the treatment of his clothes.

Application:     What the woman did for damaged pants,

The Redeemer does for damaged souls.