God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world:
Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you
is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their
worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you,
and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for Young Persons, BCP p. 829

 This box is closed. There is a lid. Maybe there is a parable inside. Sometimes, even if we are ready, we can't enter a parable. Parables are like that. Sometimes they stay closed.

The box looks like present. Parables were given to you a long time ago as presents. Even if you don't know what a parable is, the parable is already yours. You don't have to take them, or buy them, or get them in any way. They already belong to you.

 

  

There was once someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people followed him. They couldn't help it. They wanted to know who he was, so they just had to ask him.  

 

 Once when they asked him who he was, he said, "I am the Good Shepherd."

"I know each of my sheep by name. When I take them from the sheepfold they follow me. I walk in front of the sheep to show them the way."

"I show them the way to the good grass and I show them the way to the cool, still, fresh water."

 "When there are places of danger, I show them how to go through. I count each one as the sheep goes inside. If one of the sheep is missing, I would go anywhere to look for the lost sheep; in the grass, by the water, even in places of danger. And when the lost sheep is found I would put it on my back, even if it is heavy, and carry back safely to the sheepfold. When all of the sheep are safe inside, I am so happy that I can't be happy just by myself, so I invite all of my friends and we have a great feast."

"The ordinary shepherd takes the sheep from the sheepfold, but does not show them the way. The sheep wander. When the wolf comes, the ordinary shepherd runs away, but the Good Shepherd stays between the wolf and the sheep and would even give his life for the sheep so they can come back safely to the sheepfold."

--Godly Play, vol.3 pg.77-83.

I chose to also incorporate the the water from the Baptism story and the Light of Christ from the story as well. These are to remind us that the water that the sheep drink from is the water of creation, the dangerous water of the flood, the water the people went through into freedom, the water Jesus was baptized in, and the water of our baptism, and so much more. I chose to place the Light of Christ in the water, to show that sometimes, even when it's the water of the dangerous flood, we will find the light of Christ. 

I take comfort in knowing that in this time of darkness, there is the light of Christ. That when we are in the dark and dangerous places in our journey, there is the Good Shepherd waiting to guide us, showing us the way through. We may not know why we're on this path, we may not have the ability to comprehend what has happened, we may have lost hope in times of overwhelming darkness and despair, but there is a great light we can find and a Good Shepherd that will lead us. And, much like a parable, sometimes we are ready to be opened and lead, other times, we struggle and we're not ready. The Good Shepherd will always be there, likewise, the Light of Christ is never extinguished. In Godly Play, we change the light, we watch as the like is transformed from a flame to smoke. The smoke fills a room; we can see it for a bit, but as it vanishes, we can still smell it. The Light of Christ is always there, in whatever particular form it may take, it is there.

Peace be with you this day and always.