thought of the day.226

On Intercessory Prayer

Walking through the woods, a father comes upon his child caught in a thorny thicket. The child is frightened, covered in blood and wincing in obvious pain but cheered by the sight of her father. The father, a gardener, has his trusty shears with him but aside from offering a few comforting words, he inexpicably does nothing more than watch her futile struggling and listen to her increasingly anguished cries for help.

Family and friends begin to worry about the missing child. They organize a search party and eventually the child is found by a young girl. Unable to free her trapped friend herself, she pleads with the father to assist her. But the father does nothing. Exasperated, the girl runs to town to get help. Many people come but no one has the proper tools. They beg the father to use his shears to free his daughter, but the father just watches the growing spectacle. Some friends keep vigil through the night and all the while beg the father to help. Others rally people from neighboring towns to talk to the father.

Finally, having listened to much heartfelt pleading, the father cuts his way through the thorns and upon reaching the now completely exhausted, whimpering child, he plunges his shears into her heart killing her. Everyone is grief stricken! But as they gather themselves they acknowledge that the father has his own plans for his daughter and they have no right to question him. The father picks up the lifeless body and carries it away to bury in the yard. Everyone rejoices! The child has gone home to be with her father, and the father, they say, is a good father.