Impotence

A tick made its way onto the back of an elephant one evening as the elephant was sleeping. As morning came, the elephant awoke and went about doing what elephants do for the rest of the day. The tick held on for dear life, and as morning became noon and noon became dusk, the elephant lay down once again for his nightly slumber. With a proud cry the tick yelled out, ‘I knew I’d wear you out eventually!’


The next morning, the elephant awakens stirring from its slumber once more, and caught unaware, the tick flies off the elephant’s back.

Although we like to deceive ourselves into believing we are the elephant in this story, the truth of the matter is that we are the ticks. Even though we beat our chests, walk tall, and have a better opinion of ourselves than we ought, thinking ourselves the elephant, it takes something quite miniscule and insignificant to show us the true measure of our impotence and remind us that we are not in control.

Some have warmed to the idea that this present generation has managed to wear God out, that He has finally acquiesced and no longer demands righteousness or holiness, that He readily accepts or at least overlooks the sin in our hearts and the blood on our hands because intelligent as we are, we’ve managed to show Him the error of His ways. Some truly believe that this present generation has managed by its ingenuity and prowess to change God’s mind, while others, reminiscent of the fools at Babel simply attempt to reach heaven that they might dethrone Him. Then, once in awhile something happens; God stirs; the earth that is His footstool does the unexpected and throws us into a tailspin, showing us just how powerless we truly are.

If the earth is His footstool, as the Bible says, then we are but mere specks upon His footstool. All He has to do from time to time, to show us who is still in charge is move a toe, or simply twitch it imperceptibly, and the earth shakes, volcanoes erupt and we are brought back to the realization of just how fragile and passing a creature man is.

There is one transcendent worth in man, and that is the grace and love of God that He has so mercifully bestowed upon us. When we forget this, when Kong like in our insolence we begin beat our chests and thumb our noses at Him, He sends small reminders that we are in fact creation, and He is eternal and omnipotent Creator.

With love in Christ,
 
Michael Boldea Jr.