Squeeze it Out

A teenage daughter had been refusing to give a certain boy a date for weeks. Finally her mother asked, “Ann, why don’t you go out on a date with Charlie? He seems like a nice boy.”

“Oh, mother,” declared Ann. “He’s the sort of boy who spends a dollar on you for the picture show and then spends the rest of the evening trying to squeeze it out of you.”

Teenager’s Prayer

Every night, a certain teenage girl prays, “Dear Lord, I’m not asking a thing for myself. I just want to send my parents a son-in-law.”

Fishing for a Mate

There are two places to go fishing in a certain town, either a secluded pond or the river. To get to the secluded pond requires carrying your heavy tackle box on a strenuous hike through thick forests. Upon arriving at the pond, you might have to wait a while to even get a bite. The river, however, has more convenient parking right next to the water. Every time you cast your line into the water its bound to have a fish on it. So which is the better fishing site?

You might be surprised that it’s the pond. Why? Because a local waste treatment plant dumps sewage into the water just above the river’s fishing site. Sure, there are a lot of fish, but that’s only because they feed off the algae that feed off the sewage. In fact, signs have been posted to warn residents that fish caught in the river cannot be eaten because they are too polluted. The secluded pond has been protected from such pollution and offers much larger, healthier fish due to its seclusion.

The river is like this system of things. Satan’s sewage, demonic reasoning that appeal to the flesh, has polluted the minds of unbelievers for years. (2 Cor. 4:4) Although it may be more convenient to look to the world to provide a soul mate, certainly the health risks it poses to our spirituality would cause us to think twice. Jehovah has even “posted a sign” warning us of the danger through His word, the Bible. (2 Cor. 6:14) What if we already have a non-Christian “on the line”? Then it’s time to practice catch and release.

Let’s make it our goal to wait for someone in Jehovah’s organization. We must be patient if we hope to catch that trophy fish, a spiritual brother or sister. In the meantime, we can improve the bait we are using by working to improve our Christian qualities. Continue to pray to Jehovah, not only for a spouse, but also for the patience and self-control to continue to endure. (1 John 5:15) Surely the prize will be worth the wait!