The Only Answer
School. Do we really need it? English? We already speak it. Math? We have calculators. History? Those people are gone. Physical education? We have the great outdoors. Spanish? We have Dora the Explorer.
Okay. I'm kidding. Truth is, I'm grateful for school. Without it I would be a very bad speelor. As it was, my grades began slipping in kindergarten. If I didn't know the answer, I got creative. What ended in 1945? 1944. Here are answers kids have written on tests.
Q: If you have three apples and four oranges in one hand and three oranges and four apples in the other, what do you have? A: Very big hands.
Q: What did Mahatma Gandhi and Genghis Khan have in common? A: Unusual names
Q: What are three things you want to do in the future? A: Get a girlfriend. Kiss her. Rule the world.
A teacher was grading math tests. One child had written "Jesus" as the answer for every question. At the top he put, "Jesus is always the answer." The teacher did not agree. Jesus was not the answer to four plus four. But I think that kid was onto something. Life's truly important questions find their answer in Him. Here are just three examples.
1. What is my purpose in life? Financial success? Fame? After winning his third superbowl ring, NFL quarterback Tom Brady (who earns $35 million a year) said, "A lot of people would say, 'I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: It's gotta be more than this. This can't be what it's all cracked up to be."
Tom was right. Lasting fulfillment doesn't come through achievement. Living for cash or fame or success leads to disappointment whether we get it or not. Living for something that outlasts us brings joy and purpose.
2. Where can I find peace? In Matthew 11, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Jesus offers-and delivers-true peace.
3. Where can I find hope? Life hurts. People disappoint. Jesus doesn't offer superficial answers, He gives us Himself-the one who knew bitter pain and disappointment. He weeps with us and offers hope that the greatest life of all begins with our last breath.
"Whoever believes in me," He said, "will never perish but have everlasting life."
He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Speaking of the truth, a little guy truthfully completed the following sentence, "I earn money at home by...."
He wrote, "I don't. I'm a freeloader."
Phil Callaway is an author and humorist. His radio show Laugh Again is on several hundred stations. Visit him at
philcallaway.com
