The Parable of the Hedge

For family scripture study we have been reading in the New Testament, most recently in Matthew where there are many parables. The children love being parable detectives and have even helped us look at them in other ways and taught us some neat things. The other day a teaching moment came my way. I don't remember the particular situation, but it had to do with following a rule even though the children couldn't understand why. As a help, I told them The Parable of the Hedge...

A long time ago when I was about Cannon's age one of the rules at my grandparent's home was not to go past the hedge when playing in their front yard. When my relatives would get together there was usually a lot of us around, I mean lots. It was fun because when we all played as cousins we could always get a fun game of something going. One particular time I remember we decided we would play hide and seek. They had a nice big yard with lots of trees and bushes and a "hedge." Trying to be sneaky I thought there was no way anyone could seek my hiding spot if I went behind the hedge. I found a spot next to the house where the hedge had a gap. Once on the other side I found a bridge made up of an old mattress. With much excitement, as an explorer who ventures into an undiscovered territory, I began to cross the mattress bridge. When I was about halfway across the mattress folded and I fell. What I fell into at first felt like a small, shallow, muddy pond. But as reality hit I realized I had fallen into a horrific smelling, pool of sewage. In actuality it was the house's cesspool, a hole or pit used for receiving water and sewage drainage, and I was covered. There was no way to hide my "discovery" and my rule breaking. Everyone would know that I had went past the hedge and everyone knew that I stunk. Since I was still little all I could do, I am sure, was cry. I remember being taken up to a shower upstairs and washed clean.

This parable is so applicable in many of our explorations during life. We know where that hedge is. We have been warned not to go past the hedge. Why? Sometimes the answer isn't what we like. "Because it is good for you." Sometimes there isn't a particular answer, but we can feel that it wouldn't be good for us. Sometimes we just want to find out. Perhaps we call it "exploring." Or maybe we are just doing a little hiding on our own. If you are a parent, or any reasonable person for the matter, knows that rules are there to protect us. Speed limits. Honesty. Being nice to others. Not partaking of harmful substances. Sports have rules or else no one would know who is the better opponent. The list goes on and on. But just as in every aspect of life where there is a "rule" or something there to help us, if we breach these rules there is a consequence. We fall. Our souls are covered in muck. It is our Savior, Jesus Christ that lifts us out of our cesspools of despondency and can wash us clean. Sometimes we choose to splash around a bit while we are deciding whether or not we want to "come clean" or to continue to hide the stink. But I can tell you there is nothing more refreshing than becoming clean again. So, when someone tells you "Don't go past the hedge," I hope my little parable helps you to understand that you really don't want to go past "The Hedge."