The Parable of the Mailbox

On a shelf in Wal-Mart sat a plastic mailbox looking for a new home. Having a charitable heart, a family in Beaumont bought the mailbox and gave it a new home. No longer did it sit hidden on a store shelf. Now, it was seen by all of those who passed by each day as it so firmly stood bolted to a strong, strong pole. Mailbox loved its new home as it felt safe on a pole which was planted firmly in the ground with cement.

As the years went by, mailbox withstood the heat of the afternoon sun, the Southeast Texas humidity, and an occasional powerful thunderstorm. But, as all must pass the test of life, little did Mailbox know that it would soon be in the midst of a powerful hurricane named Rita. The winds howled, the rain pounded down upon Mailbox, trees fell all around Mailbox; but after the storm, Mailbox was still perched firmly on its foundation. How excited Mailbox was knowing it had withstood the storm. But, little did Mailbox know that three years later, almost to the day, there would be another powerful hurricane named Ike.

Once again, the winds howled, the rains poured down, the trees fell; but Mailbox once again stood firmly planted and survived another turbulent storm in its life. After much pondering, Mailbox realized that because it was planted firmly with a strong, strong foundation, no storm of life could move it from its belief of standing firm no matter what storm may come.

OK, so it is only a mailbox made of plastic sitting on top of a wooden pole, a pole cemented firmly into the ground. But, after Hurricane Ike I learned a great lesson from this mailbox. In our lives, the storms of tribulation will come; and we are the ones who have to weather the storms. If our testimonies are not planted firmly with a strong, strong foundation, when the storms come, we risk the possibility of "falling off our foundation". The times we live in are not the best. There is war, there are epidemics, storms, all kinds of destruction by weather, financial ruin, dishonesty amongst our leaders, and the list goes on. But one thing remains firmly planted, never moving, never changing; and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the gospel, we can gain the necessary strength needed to endure the tribulations of the world.

I am so grateful for my mailbox and for the lesson it has taught me that I must have my testimony and my life firmly planted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.