The Draw Of The Magnet
Stories
56 Stories For Preaching
A young child sat at the wooden picnic table in the back yard
of his suburban home. It was a great day to play outside. The
warm wind blew through the trees surrounding the enclosed patio.
The birds hopped about in search of food. The outdoors beckoned
as wise parents shut off televisions and suggested youngsters
spend some time in the fresh air. This boy's mother had a
definite plan in mind when she sent him out the back door. One
could see the wheels of her son's mind turning as he pondered
what lay before him on the outdoor picnic table. An orange
dishpan filled with granulated sand absorbed his whole attention.
Inquisitive minds need to be challenged on long, summer days. So
Justin's mother had placed him outside to occupy and channel his
youthful energy. And energy he had, sometimes more than his
mother could harness! In the sand, mother had buried a large box
of large, metal paper clips. Justin was to see how many he could
find and report back his findings in an hour. His reward -- a trip
to Jim's Dairy Creme at the corner for a soft swirl ice cream
cone. This was certainly an enticement that few young children
could ever resist.
Justin sat with his head in his hands as he pondered the
situation before him. How could he possibly find all the hidden
treasure his mother had so carefully concealed beneath the sand?
His little soul was troubled until a small light went on inside
his head. Quickly running into the house, he searched his
upstairs toy room for the key to unlocking his problem. In a
small basket of odds and ends sitting on top of his dresser, he
found the answer: a big, black, horseshoe magnet. Racing back
outside, he began to stir the sand with one hand
while holding the magnet above it to see how many clips would be
pulled up. His tiny face shone with delight as the metal objects
began to rise in an intricate chain from the plastic dish before
him. Lifting the magnet higher and higher, he grinned. This was
going to be easy. The chain rose slowly. All at once, the paper
clips fell back down, scattering all over the table. The magnetic
attraction had been broken by distance. What was left was a
jumble of scattered paper clips and a very puzzled child.
of his suburban home. It was a great day to play outside. The
warm wind blew through the trees surrounding the enclosed patio.
The birds hopped about in search of food. The outdoors beckoned
as wise parents shut off televisions and suggested youngsters
spend some time in the fresh air. This boy's mother had a
definite plan in mind when she sent him out the back door. One
could see the wheels of her son's mind turning as he pondered
what lay before him on the outdoor picnic table. An orange
dishpan filled with granulated sand absorbed his whole attention.
Inquisitive minds need to be challenged on long, summer days. So
Justin's mother had placed him outside to occupy and channel his
youthful energy. And energy he had, sometimes more than his
mother could harness! In the sand, mother had buried a large box
of large, metal paper clips. Justin was to see how many he could
find and report back his findings in an hour. His reward -- a trip
to Jim's Dairy Creme at the corner for a soft swirl ice cream
cone. This was certainly an enticement that few young children
could ever resist.
Justin sat with his head in his hands as he pondered the
situation before him. How could he possibly find all the hidden
treasure his mother had so carefully concealed beneath the sand?
His little soul was troubled until a small light went on inside
his head. Quickly running into the house, he searched his
upstairs toy room for the key to unlocking his problem. In a
small basket of odds and ends sitting on top of his dresser, he
found the answer: a big, black, horseshoe magnet. Racing back
outside, he began to stir the sand with one hand
while holding the magnet above it to see how many clips would be
pulled up. His tiny face shone with delight as the metal objects
began to rise in an intricate chain from the plastic dish before
him. Lifting the magnet higher and higher, he grinned. This was
going to be easy. The chain rose slowly. All at once, the paper
clips fell back down, scattering all over the table. The magnetic
attraction had been broken by distance. What was left was a
jumble of scattered paper clips and a very puzzled child.
