First Baptist Church of Herndon

In Search of Kale - A Parable

Linda Soller | Aug 24, 2020

There was only one item he simply had to have, a package of frozen chopped organic kale for his morning smoothy. He went first to his favorite store, but they were out and had been for weeks. Customer service said, “The vendor is temporarily closed”. Next, he went to his second favorite store. They were also out of what he needed. They didn’t know why. These were his go to stores. He was comfortable with them and their products. Necessity drove him to try a new store. It was big, shiny, and recognizable to most. They had something like what he wanted but it was expensive. He hated to spend that much. As he left the big store, not happy with his purchase, he looked across the parking lot where he saw a fourth store. The name seemed local, and small. He was sure they wouldn’t have what he needed but decide to take a quick look. It wasn’t fancy, or shiny, and the name wasn’t on everyone’s lips, but a strange sensation came over the man. The employees smiled, the products were familiar, and amazingly they had what he wanted at a price he could afford. He purchased his frozen chopped organic kale and left feeling lighter, happier, pleasantly surprised by his discovery, and fully planning to return.

One explanation of the parable:

Each of us has a comfort zone. Maybe you always buy the same catsup, shop in the same store, or expect the same behavior of all strangers. This man knew what he needed, but he wasn’t finding it in his comfort zone. He went next for the big name fully expecting it would be better for some reason he could not put into words; he was wrong. Then he saw something not so familiar. He found it to be comfortable and friendly. It had what he needed. God teaches us to love one another. God creates opportunities and opens doors. We simply have to step out of our comfort zone. When we follow Him, we feel lighter, happier, and stronger for our courage. 

Have a great week! :o) Linda