The Tenant - A Parable
Trial is not only to approve, but improve. ~ Thomas Manton
An elderly man continued to struggle and stumble until he topped the steep, square stairwell. To his right was a shaded light, and to his left fluttered a moth. In these hands he held folders, old suspension files he had just lifted from an equally aged cabinet.
Now, at the top of the stairs, he knew which door to knock upon, although he saw four. Also, he knew the tenant of the unit was peeking through a clouded peep-hole. They both knew each other well.
This aging gent, with some pain, turned to his right. His clenched fist was raised and about to knock when the tenant threw his door open. He was eager to sit with his visitor.
Inside the bulging folders lay dog-eared life-maps and yellowing plans, all drawn by the visitor in another time, before the tenant ever appeared within time. They were the maps of the tenant's journeys.
In earthly terms the tenant was not young himself. They greeted each other warmly.
The visitor sat for a while in an untidy winged-back armchair. They chatted with complete ease. This relationship had been forged across torrid decades, and the blistering heat of a furnace or two.
As they sat the visitor passed the files across to the tenant.
Politely the tenant opened them, wondering what the tatty files held.
Upon each page (and there were many) the tenant read of his acts of faithfulness, only some he knew of or could remember. Most he could not recall, yet the visitor had recorded them too in faithfulness.
The tenant's heart was gladdened as much as it was surprised.
As the tenant flipped more and more pages he felt pain, and tears were raised. Each tear rolled across his reddening cheeks. He noticed that upon each first line on each page he read in bold and large font:
This one was born in Zion.
Now the tenant knew that his actions which appeared fruitless - weren't.
The tenant now knew why he had done things, strange things that were against human reason.
He understood the purposes of his endless frustrations.
Now he saw favor and blessings upon the seeds he had sown, though he had thought the seeds failed.
The tenant too saw the gent's intentions for him, and how he had led him to life eternal from each tiny step through life.
The tenant had in fact drunk well from the waters of life, those Divine cisterns little used except by those that belong to Zion.
The Last Word:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)