Little Tommy's Matches

Little Tommy asked his mama why you can't strike a match twice, but you can light the match using another lit match. Puzzled by his question, she answered anyway: "The coating is gone, so if you try to restrike the match, you'll only end up breaking what's left. The match will eventually just crumble."

"Kinda like people without God, huh?" Tommy asked.

Now his mama was really confused. Her face shows it, so Little Tommy explains himself.

"Once a person burns out, they can try to keep going but eventually they will crumble. But, if they let God ignite them, they will reignite and be whole." His mother was speechless. Taking that as confirmation he was right, Little Tommy continues: "The matches will eventually burn out either way when their time is up. People will burn out quicker, too, if they try avoiding God and doing things on their own rather than waiting on His timing."

Baffled, she opens her mouth, but he's not finished.

"And, if you light a whole pack of matches at once they burn bright and fast all at once. They all go out at the same time, and there are none left to help reignite the others. This, I think, is what God doesn't want us to do as Christians. He doesn't want us to take matters into our own hands and choose our own timing. He doesn't want us to all burn out at once while not looking to Him for when our lights are meant to shine. He wants us to wait on Him because everyone's timing is different and perfect and is meant to ignite someone else's passion for Him. Besides, even when you try to restrike a lot of burnt matches at once, they won't relight and will all eventually crumble just like we will without God. But, if we wait, when God lights one up, we can reignite the others one by one when their time comes so we can be a continuous light in the world to ignite others for God."

All his mama could do was smile with tears in her eyes. Little did he know, her light was flickering out, but he had reignited her.