Growing up on a family farm taught me countless lessons. Our home was unique; two families lived under one roof, with my aunt and uncle on the first floor and my family on the second. This arrangement was like having two sets of parents, each offering their own guidance and humor. My dad worked days at GMC, while Uncle Bob worked nights at Pontiac Motors. Despite his night shifts, I often found my uncle in the barn by day, tinkering with the tractors. I’d run down to help, eagerly grabbing tools like wrenches or monkey wrenches that I knew so well.
One day, as we were working on a tractor, Uncle Bob asked me to fetch him a “skyhook.” Now, I thought I knew every tool in that barn, so I confidently headed off to find it. After searching in vain, I returned empty-handed, only to have him describe it with a straight face: “It’s got a treble hook on one end and a long rope attached.” I headed back to the barn, even more determined—though I still had no clue what a treble hook was. Returning once more, I admitted defeat. Uncle Bob, smiling, looked at me and said, “Dave, stop and think: How can you hook anything to the sky?”
At that moment, I understood he’d been teasing me all along. But his lesson wasn’t just playful; it held a deeper meaning about listening closely, questioning, and thinking for myself. That moment planted a seed of awareness: not everything said is true or meant to be taken at face value. This realization grew as I matured, becoming a lesson that I would find echoed in the teachings of Jesus.
Jesus often taught through questions and parables, leading people to think deeply and reflect rather than just react. He asked questions that challenged assumptions, prompting those who listened to step beyond their habitual responses. “Who do you say that I am?” and “What do you want me to do for you?” were not just questions—they were invitations to self-examine and seek understanding.
Reflecting on Uncle Bob’s “skyhook” moment, I see how it aligns with the value Jesus places on curiosity and discernment. Some people, like the child I was, reactively accept what they are told without questioning its truth. Others are driven by curiosity, willing to pause, think, and seek deeper insights. This is where transformation begins.
I’ve come to realize that Jesus calls us to approach life with the openness of children but also with the discernment to ask and explore. To be “reborn” in this context means more than a fresh start; it means embracing the humility to question and learn. Uncle Bob’s playful test was a tiny mirror of this larger lesson—that wisdom doesn’t come from unexamined answers but from the willingness to ask questions and find what lies beyond them.
In my spiritual journey, I’ve seen how early lessons, like searching for the impossible skyhook, become tools for understanding deeper truths. Jesus’ teaching, much like Uncle Bob’s challenge, invites us to pause, listen, and reflect. It moves us from the comfort of rote reactions to the depth of conscious learning. And as I pass this story on, I realize it’s not just about a boy on a farm but about anyone willing to search for the wisdom hidden in life’s playful challenges.
So, what questions have you avoided answering? What stories hold lessons that you’ve yet to explore? Remember, it’s the journey of asking that transforms us.
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