The Tapestry of Life


This is another one of those great stories that is particularly penetrating and relevant to a Christians walk in this life. As usual I have rewritten the story to express my own style and way of thinking. I hope you enjoy the story and come away from it with a different perspective on how we are to mesh in the lives of those God puts in our path.

Our story begins with an old couple who live on a rustic aging farm in the heartland of America. The couple has just received a package in the mail and they are sitting at the kitchen table opening it unaware that they are being watched by a tiny mouse through a crack in the wall.



The mouse becomes excited thinking maybe this is some kind of food they have ordered only to become disappointed and frightened to see it is a mouse trap.


The mouse quickly runs to the farmyard to warn the other animals of the pending disaster.


"There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mousetrap in the house!" he loudly exclaims to the Rooster.

The Rooster crowed and scratched, raised his head with its bright red comb and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell you this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me! I cannot be bothered by it."


The mouse then went and found the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house; there is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig was very sympathetic, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but be assured you are in my prayers."


The mouse who was by now becoming very frustrated went to find the cow and told her, "There is a mousetrap in the house; there is a mousetrap in the house."

The cow slowly chewed it's cud for a few minutes then said, "Mr. Mouse you do indeed have a problem and I am sorry for you but you see it is no skin off of my nose."


So, the mouse very anxious and despondent went back to the house to face the farmer's mousetrap all alone.



That very night a sound was heard throughout the farm house - like the sound of a mousetrap snapping.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was in the trap and in the darkness she did not see that it was a poisonous snake whose tail the trap had closed on.

The snake bit the farmer's wife and he rushed her to the hospital where she was treated and sent home even though she had developed a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup - so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard to get the soup's main ingredient - the chicken.


But the fever did not subside so the farmer's family and friends came to stay with his wife.

To feed all the people who came to help the farmer butchered the pig.


But soon the wife passed away and there was a big funeral which the whole community turned out for. The farmer then had to butcher the cow to feed the crowd that came for the funeral.


The mouse watched from his crack in the wall and was very sad for his barnyard friends.

THE END!


So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, remember we are all part of the same family. We are all involved in this journey called life. God puts people in our life for many reasons. Whether it's that life long friend you can share your life and secrets with or that irritating neighbor, we all make a difference in other people's lives.

Our life is like a tapestry and each person is a vital thread that makes up our life, we become a product of the experiences we share with others.

Matthew 22:36-40 KJV 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


John 13:34 KJV A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.


John 13:25 KJV by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

If you are familiar with the scriptures you know that our Lord and all the apostles continually spoke of the importance of love and having love for one another.

1 Corinthians 13 KJV 1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (LOVE)


May your tapestry be bright and colorful, may it be pleasing to the Lord and bring Him much glory woven into the lives of all He brings into your life.

My sincerest thanks go out to Ms. Connie for the story that was my inspiration for this look into how we affect and are affected by the lives of those who God places in our path.

Bob Goulding © July 2007

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