The Wisdom Of Walnut Grove

I never really used to watch Little House On The Prairie a whole lot when I was younger, but I never disliked it.  My wife used to watch it and had introduced it to our daughters who now love the show, too.  In watching with my family I have regained a like for the show. 

Based upon the true life story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House On The Prairie takes you back to life in a small town of Walnut Grove in the 1800s. Simple, yet not without hardships.

The Ingall's time and again would show us happiness, sadness, fear, and Christian resolve. In a particular episode there was an elderly man who lived alone in a big house. The house looked old and run down as he had not taken care of it for years. Laura and some other children thought the house was haunted and the old man was a maniac. After being teased about being afraid of going up to the house an touching it, Laura finds herself inside the house and face to face with the old man. Eventually, Laura befriends the old man and learns why he has lived alone all those years. The old man's wife had passed away some years before and in his grief he had chosen to believe she was still alive and living in the city. Once Laura had discovered that the old man's wife was dead, her heart went out to him. Laura began reading her bible and found a verse that she knew would help the old man.

" Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?    John 11:25,26

Through the compassion of a child and acceptance of the Word of God, the old man believed in Jesus and and was healed of his grief.

Jesus said that he is the resurrection and the life. When we are born into this life we are born into the sin and death of this world. God never intended for it to be that way, but he made the way of redemption. When we believe in and receive Jesus as our savior we are redeemed and resurrected from the sin and death of the world. That does not mean that we no longer give ourselves over to sin and death. Our spirits have been redeemed and made righteous, our flesh and carnal desires are a daily battle.

In another episode Mary, Laura's older sister, was asked to come and teach children in a remote settlement. While there an older woman, who had gained prominence for reciting biblical verses and supposedly could call down lightning from heaven, called Mary a Jezebel and had the people make her leave.

Mary hurt and upset began talking to her father about the situation. Mary knew that she had been lied about and knew what was going on. A good thing had been destroyed because of a misguided woman's fear. The children were learning and would gain knowledge and understanding that she (the woman) did not have. In talking to her father Mary reached a resolve. Charles, Mary's father didn't have to say much, he just listened. Mary went back to the settlement and confronted the woman publicly in front of the people. She stood in the face of her accuser and spoke the Word which she had read and memorized. The woman could only speak what she had heard and when challenged to find it and read it from the Bible she couldn't. At the end of the confrontation Mary was absolved of the accusations against her and in compassion offered her hand to the woman in forgiveness.

When facing life's struggles and difficult situations, the first thing we should do is take it to God our Father. He already knows the situation and often will just listen and drop in your heart the answer. We often must stand in the face of our accuser, Satan, and speak the Word of God. He too knows the Word, but will only twist and pervert it for his purpose.

Jesus in his humanity prayed to God and asked that the cup of his sacrifice pass from him. In other words, the human part of Jesus was afraid and did not want to face what was coming, but the God part of Jesus, the part that knew his mission, accepted what had to be done. It was love and compassion that drove Jesus to the cross. Love and compassion for a lost and dying people. God's creation that had rebelled and had lost understanding of their creator.

We must strive to know God and know His word. Building not only knowledge but love and understanding and compassion. That is the Wisdom Of Walnut Grove.

In Christ, Kevin