The Onion and the String

When I was a child, I attended Catholic school and on the first Friday of every month we had Children's Mass. I loved Children's Mass, and our priest, Father Schroeder, always had the best stories from his childhood or various parables to tell us. So many of them have stayed with me throughout my life, but recently, events in my own life have brought this one back to mind...

Once there was a sinner in hell, and he was crying piteously in regret for the choices that he had made. An angel was flying over and heard his cries. The angel took pity on the sinner and called out, "I will through down a rope to help pull you out of hell since I know that you have truly repented for the choices that you made in your life." So the angel, threw down an onion on a string. The sinner caught it and slowly, slowly, the angel began to pull him out of Hell. As he was being rescued, other sinners saw that he had found a way to escape, and they were eager to escape from hell also. They began to jump onto the string, onto his legs, etc... all in an attempt to find redemption. The sinner grew worried and concerned for himself. He was fearful that the string and the onion could not hold the weight of so many, so he began to kick and pinch at the others who were holding on. In his eagerness to save himself, his vigorous struggles caused the string to snap and he and all the other sinners fell back into the pit. The sinner cried out to the angel again but this time the angel would not help. He told the sinner, "Your selfish lack of faith is what has brought you to this place and while you have learned to feel sorrow for your choices, you still have not learned."

As I was talking about the troubles of my mother in law the other day, I suddenly felt very much like the sinner who was being selfish and faithless. God has blessed me with so many things - a beautiful marriage, two wonderful, healthy children and the ability to help the loved ones of my loved one. Why then should I feel reluctance to do so? I have decided to givve this aspect of my life over to God. I know that He has watched out for my family and that He will continue to do so. I can not show my Gratitude for the multitude of Blessings that I have by being faithless.

Isn't it funny how God has a way of talking to us, even from the past, if we just open our hearts to listen?