The Flea, the Minnow, the Elephant, and the Whale. Glenn Goree

      The Flea, the Minnow, the Elephant, and the Whale

      Parables for the Twenty-first Century

      Copyright © 2016 Glenn Goree. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

      Resource Publications

      An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

      199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3

      Eugene, OR 97401

      www.wipfandstock.com

      paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-0232-0

      hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-0234-4

      ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-0233-7

      Manufactured in the U.S.A.

      I dedicate this book to the five most important women in my life.

      My wife, Valerie, my life and light.

      My mother, Neva, my rock and foundation.

      My daughter, Colleen, my wise, gentle, compassionate angel.

      My daughter-in-law, Minerva, my quiet thoughtful muse.

      And finally,

      My granddaughter, Xaia, who is a blossoming rose

      of femininity and womanhood,

      and who has always had a sweet spirit.

      Introduction: Why a Flea, a Minnow, an Elephant, and a Whale Decided to Talk

      Who would guess the four of us would decide to talk?

      But we banded together in private, to speak our piece where no human could balk.

      Great theologians have written on the topics within these following pages,

      But the average Christian has bills to pay, and jobs to do, so they aren’t theological sages.

      Therefore, some of us in the animal kingdom decided to hold a special conference.

      We asked ourselves what we could do to help man improve his lot, to make a difference.

      Farm animals have always been in Biblical stories since Christ was born,

      So it was a unanimous decision to select us four, since we’re not the norm.

      We decided to teach Biblical truths for humans to learn what’s most important in life,

      Because they are from the four of us, routinely hunted with hook, gun, and knife.

      We thought parables would be entertaining and better remembered without much mental strife.

      So we pray you enjoy what our author has written on our humble behalf.

      Parable One: A Dream, Not a Scheme

      There was once a tiny minnow who swam boldly,

      He was scarcely a trifle long, mostly.

      In fact, when he turned to face you,

      He was not much wider than a folded tissue.

      But he had a dream.

      Deep inside he felt there was more to life than his salty aquatics,

      All the fish in his dark world swam around blindly, robotic,

      And they fell in line behind each other without question, hypnotic.

      But he had a dream,

      His fish brethren said he swam against their school.

      They told him to fall in line or else he risked being a fool.

      He needed their protection from man’s hook, reel, and spool.

      Besides, being different didn’t make him cool.

      But he had a dream.

      He preached to his fellows, “You swim in blindness without question.

      You follow one behind the other without hesitation.

      But unlike you who are settled and content,

      I want something more than what this dull life has sent.”

      And he had a dream.

      Suddenly, a large net from above missed all the fish except one.

      Yes, it was our hero, who in his brief life had finally won,

      As he was hauled to the surface to feel the warm light of the sun.

      He told all who watched in horror that his life was not over, but just begun.

      He found his dream.

      His last words heard before he left the deep’s safety

      Was an exhortation to all who had thought he was crazy.

      “Sometimes to gain your life you must risk death.

      To find what your heart says is right, to inhale a new breath.”

      He lived his dream.

      The net hurled him high into the air,

      And he saw a new world he dreamed had to be there.

      But the net’s hold on him was not square,

      So it tossed him free beyond where no other fish would dare.

      And as he re-entered the ocean’s water,

      He braved a new world order.

      Parable Two: But by God’s Grace

      Said the flea to the elephant,

      “Be gone! Your being is an affront!”

      Said the minnow to the whale,

      “Go around! I need room to inhale!”

      Said the earth to planets near and far,

      “Worship me! Man is master under the stars!”

      The elephant stepped on the flea,

      The whale swallowed the minnow instantly.

      Then a voice from distances unknown,

      Made all existence fearfully wail and moan,

      “Who are you to tell me?

      Did you form the dry land and sea?

      In My grace you exist at all,

      In only My mercy man can stand tall.”

      Parable Three: Security

      A flea stood tall on an elephant’s back.

      “My world is secure. There’s nothing I lack.”

      A minnow attached himself to a whale.

      “I’ll cling to him. He’s safe in any gale.”

      A flood washed poor elephant away,

      This of course did not make flea’s day.

      A great noise with fire and harpoon,

      Left