Box of Crayons

  Some of you may recognize the following writing. It was originally read at a supper for members of the community in 2008, I believe. I ran across it again this summer and remembered how much I liked the thought. It's been hidden away for many years now, so I thought I would post it here.

    I'll try not to bore you with pontificating and let the words speak for themselves. 

                     Box of Crayons

I saw two lads.

Each had a box of crayons,

Crayons that had seen better days

And now lay in battered boxes.

Most were dull,

Some were broken.

Before each lay a paper:

Clean, white, new.

I saw their fathers approach them.

What are you going to draw?" asked one.

His son glanced up at him.

"Look, Dad! These colors are old and broken.

They can't be used to make a picture!

See the broad, ugly lines they make?"

And he grasped a color and scribbled across his paper.

"Come now," said the father.

"If you will let me help you, it will turn out much better."

"No!" said the child, rudely. 

"I want to do it this way. Let me be!"

And he scribbled with a second color.

No particular pattern, just scribbling because he could.

The second boy paused before taking up his crayons.

For just a moment he stared into space

And you could see in his eyes that visions of great things were forming.

"What are you going to draw?" Questioned his father.

"It's a surprise!" said the lad with a smile.

"Oh?" said the father.

"Yes!" said his son.

"Only, I wish these colors were not so dull!"

"Let me help," said his father.

And he took the crayon and whittled at it with his pocketknife

Until the end was sharp and made a fine line.

"Thank-you!" cried the lad, delighted.

Carefully he held the sharpened crayon.

Painstakingly he made a mark on his paper.

Slowly, slowly, every stroke studied,

A picture began to emerge.

Finally his masterpiece was finished.

Eagerly he ran to his father.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"Yes, I do!"

And the little boy nearly burst with happiness.

"Good! I hoped you would,

'Cause I was making it pretty for you!"

And so I wonder;

We are all given life:

Clean, white, new.

And we have a box of crayons.

Perhaps some are new, 

But there will be some dull.

Some, broken.

Many people just laugh, grasp the colors,

Take up life and splash it with many different shades.

"You can't do anything else with a bunch of dull crayons!" they say.

When God offers to help, they shove Him away.

"Ha! What could You do to help? Let me do it by myself!"

And soon their page is full of color.

None of great beauty, just lots of it.

Then there are the others.

People look at them and scoff:

"You can't do anything very wonderful with those crayons!

They're dull and broken, don't you see?"

But still they pause before taking up life.

They dream big dreams, make big plans.

When God offers His help,

They say, "Yes!"

He takes their crayons and sharpens them,

Whittling away until they are nearly as good as new.

Then, carefully, the crayon is taken.

One small mark is made, 

Then another 

And another.

Slowly, slowly, through careful patience

A picture emerges.

And the whole world seems to shout,

"It's beautiful!"

But these people only smile humbly and turn to God.

"Do you like it?" they ask Him.

"Yes!" comes the answer.

"Good! I hoped You would! 

I was making it pretty

For You!"