“The Lord’s Umbrella Protects Us from Sin”

“The Lord’s Umbrella Protects Us from Sin”

As I was daydreaming one day, I thought of a comparison that could be called the “Parable of the Umbrella.”  I made a simplified picture book of it, illustrated with my cartoon drawings and sent it to my grandkids for Christmas about eight years ago. I’d like to share it with you:
There once was a woman who went to a great deal of effort to keep herself looking as nice as possible.  She went to the hairdresser each week and took time each day to wash herself and apply make up.  She carefully protected her health and dressed according to the seasons–light weight, floating material in the hot summer and thick woolens in the winter.
She kept an umbrella in the car and one in the house, because she lived in a place where rain often poured and drizzle was common.  But sometimes she forgot to use the umbrella and would just dash onto the porch or into a store from her car.  The wet wilted her hair and melted her make up.  She was very sad.
But when she remembered to use her umbrella, she stayed dry and her hair curled stylishly.
God has given us commandments and rules to guide our lives and protect us from sin in the world.  Sometimes sin pours down in a deluge; sometimes it drizzles, but it always affects us if it lands on us.
God’s commandments are like the woman’s umbrella.  If we use them, we stay dry and comfortable.  We are the most protected if we hold the umbrella directly over us and stay close to the center.  If we hold the umbrella steady, we are sheltered by it.
If we’re careless in a downpour, we will get wet. If we don’t take care of the umbrella after we’ve used it, it might mildew, some of the ribs may crack or break, and it will develop holes.  A mildewed, cracked umbrella doesn’t do the job.  When the rain gets heavy, it seeps into the tiny holes and drips on us.
God has given us a strong, beautiful umbrella to hold over our heads during the storms of life.  How that umbrella functions depends on us.  We have to actually pull it out and open it up.  Then we have to take care of it, let it dry in a protected place and inspect it regularly for tears and cracks.  When it wears out, we have to replace it with a new one.
God’s commandments will always protect us and make us safe if we follow all of them--not just the ones we like or which are easy.  We can’t ignore the commandments. The Israelites were blessed to be led out of Egyptian captivity into a land of promise where they thrived for centuries. The commandments had made them rich and kept them safe.  When they forgot where the riches came from and were “lifted up in the pride of their hearts,” they ended up in Babylonian captivity.
Keep the umbrella of the Lord near you.  Check it often and spread it above your head when the sky darkens and pours down sin and troubles.