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A Legend of Two Plates
(Rewritten
and adapted by Lorrie Schaefer)
Right at the end of Plainville, at the end of Maple Lane, stood a big green
house. All the children of
Plainville loved this house. It was
fun to be there roller skating on the porch, playing ball in the yard and
feeding ducks on the pond. But what
they most loved was Miss Gracie.
Miss Gracie loved the Lord and you could see it in her eyes whenever she
would speak of Him. Miss Gracie
spoke often of Jesus like she knew Him personally, just as someone would of a
friend that had stopped by for a visit. Miss
Gracie seemed wise about many things, and the children’s endless questions
were always welcomed. She never had
any children of her own, and one could wonder how she knew just how to answer.
I asked Mother this very question one day.
She said, perhaps Miss Gracie’s wisdom came from spending time with
Jesus. I figured Mother was probably
right.
One
sunny Saturday, Miss Gracie saw me sitting on her porch swing.
“Mercy me! “ said Miss
Gracie. “Such a frown from Olivia June. Such
a beautiful day the Lord has given us. What
could be the matter?”
“It’s not fair! All my friends
get to go to the movies without me.”
“Why?” asked Miss Gracie.
“My
mom and dad said I could not go. They
said it was not the kind of movie I should see. “
“And
your friends went anyway?” Miss Gracie asked.
“Yes,
my parents were the only ones who said no.”
“My
goodness!” Miss Gracie said, while shaking her head. “You are right that it
is not fair to your friends at all!”
“Miss
Gracie, whatever do you mean it is not fair to my friends?
I think it is not fair to me!” As
I looked at Miss Gracie, I saw it, that twinkle in her eye when she knew some
special delight.
“Olivia Jane, don’t you know you have been set apart?
When you were just a small baby your mother and father brought you to
church one Sunday and dedicated you to the Lord.
I, along with the whole congregation, stood to confirm that commitment
your parents were making to raise you to have a pure heart.”
“I
know Miss Gracie, my mom and dad tell me that all the time.
And it’s not that I don’t love Jesus.”
“I know dear.”
“It’s just sometimes I
don’t like being different. I
don’t like not being able to do things that others get to do.”
“Olivia Jane,” Miss Gracie said, “I’d like to teach you the secret of
the fine china plate. Come, while I
tell you the story we will enjoy some strawberries I picked this morning.”
Miss Gracie reached into the trash can, pulled out a dirty paper plate.
“Olivia Jane, would you like to have your strawberries on this plate?”
Olivia had a puzzled look on her face.
“Miss
Gracie, do you not have any other plates?” Olivia asked.
“Yes,
child, I have other plates. I have
clean plates, special plates, plates I have kept set apart.”
Miss Gracie set three plates in front of Olivia. First the dirty paper
plate, the plain cream dinner plate and then a beautiful fine china plate.
“Well, Olivia, which plate would you most like to have your strawberries on?
Olivia pointed to the beautiful china plate.
“Miss Gracie, I’d like this one.
It is so pretty.”
“Indeed it
is. Now I shall tell you the legend of the fine china plate. Once there was a
dinner plate. She was young and free. With
all her heart she wanted to be special.
She
wanted to serve the King. Her
friends called to her one day. Come,
come with us. We’re going to get smeared with beans and hot dogs. But the
dinner plate thought to herself, if I were a fine china plate I would never get
smeared with beans and hotdogs. So the dinner plate told her friends, I cannot
go. I want to keep clean. The king
might want to use me someday.”
“Of course her friends laughed at her, mockingly said she thought she
was too good for them. The dinner
plate felt sad and lonely, wanting so much to feel accepted and a part of her
friends. But in her heart she knew she really loved the
King and wanted to keep herself clean.
Then one day the King came! The
other plates had been stained with smudges, they hadn’t kept themselves clean.
The King looked each of them over. When
he came to the lonely dinner plate, He smiled. ‘I am so glad you stayed clean.
You chose what is better; you made the right choice. I will now turn you into a
fine china plate and use you to serve others.’”
Miss
Gracie leaned over and looked straight in Olivia’s eyes and said, “And do
you know, Olivia, what all the other plates said?”
“No,
what?” asked Olivia.
“They shouted, it’s
not fair! Pick us! Turn us into
china plates too!”
Olivia
looked back at Miss Gracie and said, “Miss Gracie, they had a choice didn’t
they?”
“Yes,
dear, they did have a choice. Perhaps
they needed someone to help them make the right choice.”
“You
mean, the way my parents helped me, by saying no the movie?
Miss Gracie, how do you know so much?”
Miss
Gracie’s laughter came deep from within. “My dear Olivia, it is not that I
have so much wisdom. The things you hear me say that sound so wise, those words
come from spending time with my Savior.”
“Miss
Gracie, do you think I could be wise?”
“Olivia, God’s Word tells us, if we lack wisdom, we only need to ask.
He gives it freely. God’s
Word also tells us that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.”
“You
mean I need to be afraid of GOD?”
“No,
no dear. This fear is respect or
reverence. It is knowing that God is
holy. It is believing that God knows
everything. So who better to trust with our plans than Him?”
Miss
Gracie gently took Olivia’s face between her hands.
“Olivia Jane,” she said, “What kind of plate would you like to
be?”
Olivia
looked into Miss Gracie’s tear filled eyes.
She spoke in a clear voice. “I would like to be a fine china plate.”
“Olivia, this plate is for you.” She
then picked up a pen and wrote something on the back of the plate.
Olivia read the words. For
Olivia Jane, Love always, Miss Gracie. II
Timothy 2:21.
“Miss
Gracie,” Olivia asked, “What does II Timothy 2:21 say?”
“It
says, ‘If you stay away from sin you will be like one of those fine china dishes
made of purest gold—-the very best in the house—-so that Christ himself can
use you for his highest purpose.”
“Miss
Gracie, thank-you. You made me feel so special.”
“Olivia Jane, you are special. You
are set apart, a child of God. And
one day the King will use you.”
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