A Tale of Two Pigs

Question:

How easy is it for you to follow rules?

To some people following rules, structure, boundaries are easy others struggle with them.

To those that find it easy or at least fairly easy to follow rules - usually come across as a good kid. Teachers like you. Church leaders like you.

Being good or at least looking good becomes a way of life.

Behaviors that get you praised you quickly adopt.

Behaviors that get you in trouble, you avoid.

This was me - Oh I could be ornery and stir up trouble with my classmates - but you let a teacher or preacher come around and suddenly I was an angel - and they loved me, and trusted me, and thought I was a good kid.

I was only sent to the principles office one time in my school career and that was because all of the boys in my class were talked to.

I never knew what is was to get written up, or in school suspension, or after school detention.

I went to church for every service and just though I was a really good kid and person. I don’t remember really struggling too much with the notion that God loved me, in fact - if I had been really honest - deep down in my heart - I felt as though I deserved it.

Oh I would never have said that - but I followed all of the rules, I would nearly burst with pride when a teacher or leader would point out how I never got into trouble, and was so polite, and that is what I thought it was all about.

There are many problems with that - but one of the worst started to show itself in my early teens and that of feeling superior to others. It

Oh I never put it into words like that - but I followed the rules and they didn’t.

I was good and they weren’t

When God got through showing me my true self It wasn’t so good and pretty.

But I also had this other side - this messy side of me - I could never seem to keep my room clean, try as I might to be organized I just never seemed to get there. I didn’t know how to dress in all the latest styles and fashions, and most of my clothes came from thrift stores and hand me downs - and there was this side of me that did feel shame and feel unloved - I mean if God really knew this side of me he would never be able to love me. If my teacher saw this or my Pastor knew....

It was then that God knew just how to teach me about His un-earned, undeserved, unconditional, self-giving love!!!

A verse I want to share with you is Romans 5:8

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

“commendeth” = demonstrated - displayed - showed

Today in place of my sermon - I want to read you a story - Now you are never too old to listen to a story - but this story spoke to me in a powerful way - and I think it will you too.

I want you to listen for yourself in this story - and see where you fit.

It is a book written by Phil Vischer the creator of Veggie Tales and it’s titled:

Show Title Page

Sidney & Norman: A Tale of Two Pigs

Page Turn (pg 2)

On a quiet street, in a quiet town; lived two pigs.

They didn't oink or eat slop—no, this isn't kind of story. They wore suit coats and went to work.

And even though they lived right next door to each other, they didn't even know each other's names.

Page Turn (pg 3)

The pig on the right was Norman. He was a very good pig. Rules and hard work had always come easily to him, and it showed. His house neat and organized. He always looked his very best. He gave money to the "needy," and never missed church on Sunday. Norman's teachers liked him when he was young, and his boss at work liked him now that he was all grown-up. He was pretty sure God liked him, too. After all, he was a very good pig.

Page Turn (pg 4)

Norman figured that everyone could be as good as he was, if they'd just try a little harder. He wondered why they didn't.

Page turn(pg 5)

The pig on the left was Sidney. Things didn't come quite as easily for Sidney. Rules and systems and schedules seemed, well, a bit slippery. One minute he thought he had them, and the next minute --whoops! Where'd they go? He was forever running ten minutes late, and could never manage, no matter how hard he tried, to get his tie perfectly straight.

Not like his neighbor ... what was his name? Sidney got in trouble in school, which frustrated his teachers. He got in trouble at work, which frustrated his boss. He knew God was watching, and figured he was pretty frustrated, too. But most Of all, Sidney frustrated Sidney. Why was everything so hard? Why couldn't he be more like oh, what was his name?

Page turn (pg 6)

Sidney felt broken. And some days that made it hard to get up in the morning. Some days, in fact, Sidney couldn't get up at all.

Page turn (pg 7)

Since Sidney usually late and Norman was usually early, they very seldom saw each other. Unless, that is, they happened to fetch their mail at the same time. Which is exactly what happened one bright morning in October.

Now, normally if Sidney Saw Norman, he would look down and shuffle back inside. He was sure Norman was staring at his tie, or his hair, or the papers half-stuck into his briefcase. He was sure Norman was looking down on him for being messy. Which, for the most part, was absolutely correct.

But this day Norman didn't look at Sidney's tie and Sidney didn't look away because they were both staring at the small, pale blue envelopes they had received in the mail. One was addressed to Norman, and the other to Sidney. Hmm. Had someone invited them both to the same party?

Page turn (pg 8)

Eager to unravel the mystery, the two pigs opened the envelopes. Norman read, "Dear Norman" and Sidney read, "Dear Sidney," followed by. "I would like you to come visit me at 77 Elm Street next Tuesday at your convenience. I have something to tell you." They both glanced at the bottom of the page and read: "Sincerely, God." Sidney and Norman reread the invitations several times to make sure they had read them correctly. God wanted to talk to them? On Tuesday? On Elm Street?

Page turn (pg 9)

Sidney panicked. Deep in his heart was a familiar feeling—the feeling he had felt when, as a young pig, his teacher had sent him to the principal's office. Terror. Panic. Doom.

Page turn (pg 10)

Norman smiled. He, too, felt a familiar feeling—the feeling he had felt when, as a young pig, he was called up in front of the school to receive an award. Anticipation. Happiness. Pride.

Page turn (pg 11)

Sidney taped the invitation to the inside of his front door So he wouldn't lose it. Norman entered the date neatly in his datebook.

Page turn (pg 12)

Both pigs had trouble sleeping that night, for very different reasons.

Page turn (pg 13)

Tuesday came. Norman awoke early, dressed, and headed down the street with the pale blue envelope firmly in hand. Just waking up, Sidney saw him pass by the window and rushed for the shower. Norman walked tall and proud. Others on the street noticed he looked a bit taller—and more than a little puffier—than usual that morning. His hair was neat and his tie extraordinarily straight. Much straighter than anyone else's on the street! God would certainly be pleased. Norman found the address and went inside, greeting the woman at the front desk with his "important" voice. She directed him down a long hall, through a heavy wooden door and into a large room, where he found God sitting behind an immense desk. The sight made Norman nervous. But then, he thought, what did he have to be nervous about? He was a good pig.

God walked around the desk and smiled at the puffed-up pig. "1'm glad you could make it," he said warmly. "1 have a few things to tell you." "First of all," God began, "1 love you." Norman smiled, though he wasn't surprised. 'Secondly, your goodness is not the reason I love you." Norman startled a little. What a curious thing for God to say. "Thirdly," God continued, "you're not as good as you have led yourself to believe. You're prideful. You're selfish. You look down on others, simply because things don't come as easily for them." God looked a little sad now. "1 love them just as much as I love you. Don't look down on those I love." Then God smiled and returned to his desk. "That is what I needed to tell you."

Page turn (pg 14)

Norman swallowed hard. That was the award? That was the commendation? Confused, he turned and ran down the hall, past the front desk, and back out onto the street. His head was spinning. He felt dizzy. Was God finding fault with him?!? He was a good pig!

Page turn (pg 15)

He noticed his tie was off-kilter, and hurried to straighten it. Not perfect, but at least better than that fellow over there in the yellow jacket. Or the guy in the blue. Or any of these people, for that matter! Then it hit him: He was looking down on those people. Right then! Right there! Just like God had said! And he'd done it yesterday—and the day before! Twenty times a day at least! Norman's face grew hot. God was right! He was selfish! He was prideful! For the first time in his life, the good pig had to face the fact that he had been very, very bad. His pride in his "goodness" was his sin! He buried his face in his hands and hurried home, tears splashing on his neat gray suit.

Page turn (pg 16)

From his window, Sidney saw his neighbor return— and froze in shock. Was he crying? Sidney couldn't breathe. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. If that's what a visit with God did to that guy ... oh! He was doomed!

Page turn (pg 17)

Hands shaking, Sidney tried one more time to get his tie to lie just right. Why was it so hard?!? Now, where was his hat? Not on the hook, of course. Oh, under the couch. Hat in hand, he peeled the pale blue envelope off the door and stepped outside.

Page turn (pg 18)

A bird was singing that morning, but Sidney didn't hear it. The sun was shining brightly, but Sidney didn't see it. Doomed, he thought. Doomed. Sidney trudged down the sidewalk, and suddenly He vas back in school. A little pig, headed down the long hall toward the principal's office. Hands sweating. Heart racing Doomed.

Page turn (pg 19)

He'll see right through me, Sidney thought as he turned onto Elm Street. messes, my mistakes—everything. And then he was there. Though he had walked as slowly as he could, he was there. Sidney stepped inside. He tried to say something to the woman at the front desk, but found he couldn't speak. She smiled and motioned him to a heavy wooden door down the hall. He gulped. A few moments later he stood before the door. He wanted to run away. He wanted to hide. But there was no place to go, and nothing to hide behind. So, hat in hand, he pushed open the door and slipped inside. And there, behind the desk, was God. Sidney gulped again.

Page turn (pg 20)

"1'm glad you could come," God said, smiling. Sidney tried to respond, but couldn't make a noise.

Page turn (pg 21)

"1 want to tell you something," God continued as he came around the desk. Sidney glanced around nervously. Maybe if he apologized— "First of all," God began, "I love you." Sidney startled—surprised. "Secondly," God continued in a quieter voice, "I love you." Sidney was gripping his hat a little less tightly now.

Page turn (pg 22)

“And thirdly .. God paused, very close to Sidney. "1 love you." The look in God's eyes warmed Sidney right down to his toes. 'That is what I wanted to tell you," God said as he stepped back toward his desk, still smiling.

Page turn (pg 23)

Sidney stood frozen for a moment; then, realizing God had finished, he turned and ran quickly from the room. "I don't understand," he said aloud when he reached the street. "Didn't he see me? Didn't he see who I am?" It didn't make sense. Then it occurred to Sidney—"l did it! I fooled him!" Sidney looked at the others on the street, smiling. "Yes, that must be it! I looked good when it was most important—and he bought it!" Just then Sidney caught his reflection in a store window.

Page turn (pg 24)

His hair was rumpled. His tie, off-kilter as usual, sported a large toothpaste stain. His smile vanished. That couldn't be it. He couldn't have fooled anybody—not looking like that.

Page turn (pg 25)

Sidney was confused. There was only one other possibility—that God ... just ... loved him. Exactly like he was. Messes and all. Sidney felt the warmth he had seen in God's eyes welling up inside him again. Others on the street would later talk about the small, messy pig they saw that day that appeared to be, well, glowing. All the way home Sidney looked for words to tell everyone what he was feeling, but all he found were tears. Happy tears. Lots of them.

Page turn (pg 26)

The next day, two pigs emerged from their homes on a bright, crisp October morning and looked at each other. The pig on the left, named Sidney, who seemed a bit taller than before, looked at his neighbor's neat, straight tie and clean clothes—and smiled. The pig on the right, named Norman, who seemed ever so slightly less "puffy," looked at his neighbor's crooked tie and rumpled hair—and smiled. It was a real smile, too. The kind that comes from deep inside. The kind he hadn't smiled in a long, long time. Sidney and Norman became good friends. There were still mornings now and then when Norman would wake up feeling a little "puffy." But all he had to do was remember what he had learned at 77 Elm Street. Then the puffiness would quickly vanish, and his real smile would return.

Page turn (pg 27)

And as for Sidney, he still had his share of messes, though not as many as before. And there were still a few days when he wasn't quite sure he could get up in the morning. But if you stood outside his window on one •of those days, this is what you'd hear: "First of all, he loves me. Secondly, he loves me. And thirdly— He loves me."

Page turn (pg 28)

And that was all it took.

The End