Tuesday, November 28, 2023
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The Lion’s Field

Lions Field
CC License Courtesy of Brian Marshall via Flickr
Robert Hawk is a regular columnist for Single Matters. He writes words of wisdom in the style of a parable or fable for kids and adults a like. We hope his short stories help you (single parents, aunts and uncles) talk to the children in your life about growing in the Lord in an engaging way. Enjoy!

The Lion’s Field

There once was a lion who owned a field of lush green grass. The lion had one rule: “If any animal should come into my field, it will surely die.”

One day a young buck wandered into the lion’s field and started eating the grass, for it was delicious. The lion jumped on him immediately and explained his one rule.

The young buck cried out, “Good sir Lion, do not eat me for I did not know your rule.”

The lion, who wasn’t particularly hungry at the time, decided to let the young buck go free, but warned him to stay out of his field. The next day the lion spotted the young buck eating in his field again.

“What are you doing here in my field?” asked the lion.

The young buck replied, “You were so gracious to me yesterday, I assumed you would not eat me today either.”

The lion, who was still not very hungry, again let the young buck live. The same thing happened the next day and the day after that, until finally the young buck thought he could go into the lion’s field whenever he wanted. Then one day when the young buck was eating in the field, the lion pounced on him ferociously.

“Why are you attacking me?” asked the young buck.

The lion responded, “You knew my one rule. Did you think I would be gracious forever?”

Moral: Do not mistake forgiveness for permission.

About Robert Hawk

Robert Hawk is a Christian screenwriter and novelist. He’s a former deputy probation counselor, working with troubled kids. He holds a degree in English and loves to go hiking, fishing and telling really bad jokes. He lives in California with his patient wife and two long-suffering daughters.
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