The Big, Bad Wolf Isn't So Bad

The following is an article Travis wrote in our January newsletter at church.

Every night for the last week or two Addison has wanted me to tell her the
same story before she goes to sleep. I love talking with her right before
she goes to sleep and reading a book, or telling her a story, or praying with
her....but come on, you've gotta give me a break on telling the same story every
night! I don't even know why it started, but for some reason she wants to hear
"The Three Little Pigs" repeated over and over. It's kind of a fun story
to tell once in awhile, but 14 nights in a row is quite a bit, and there's no
foreseeable end. Last night she asked for it again. I told her it
was her turn to tell me the story. She said, "Okay, I think I know how it
goes." She proceeded to tell me the story with several variations I had
never even thought of. My version always had the "big, bad wolf" being big
and bad with no hope for redemption. Addison's version went like
this:
Wolf: "Little pig, little pig let me in."
Pig: "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin."
All sounds normal right? But then she added that the pig also said
"We won't let you in unless you promise not to huff." So if the wolf
would be nice, Addison thought he should be able to come in. I never left
room for the wolf to come inside, I didn't care for the wolf, he's the villain
after all! Addison thought maybe the big, bad wolf wasn't so bad if he
would just stop all his huffing and puffing.

We all have people in our lives that we leave little room for. People
we simply don't get along with or care for as much as others. Maybe
they're needy people, maybe they're rude people, maybe they're annoying
people...I've been accused of being all three. In fact Pastor Brad called
me one of those three just yesterday. We see certain people with virtually
no chance at redemption....after all they're the outcasts or the villains in our
lives! We have no intention of getting to know them better, or of letting
them into our lives anymore than they already are. Addison reminded me
that everyone, even the big, bad wolf has an equal shot at redemption.
Jesus showed us how to treat the big, bad wolf as He gathered with His disciples
for the Last Supper. John 13 says they were all together, and to start the
meal Jesus bent down and proceeded to wash the disciples' feet. It seems
clear the He washed ALL the disciples' feet. Even Judas...even the
villain. Right before His betrayal, Jesus still was a humble servant
towards His betrayer.

The holidays are almost over for another year. Are you having some
family problems? Someone getting on your nerves at work? Some pastor
being annoying? Maybe it's time to talk something out? Maybe it's
time to make a hard phone call? Maybe it's time to forgive? Maybe
it's time to see value in someone that you have viewed as worthless? Maybe
it's time to let that person back in, instead of saying "not by the hair of my
chinny chin chin." God sees value in all of us. I am amazed that He
does.