A PARABLE
By Glenn Thomas Carson, Ph.D.

There once were three sisters. Lisa, Mary, and Beth. Lisa was fond of Mary, but was deeply attached to Beth.

Lisa had two children whom she expressed great love for.

One day, Lisa learned she was gravely ill and would soon die. She knew she had to make provision for her children.

She went to her sister Mary and said, "You know how very fond I am of you. And we both know that you are the most responsible of all the sisters. When I die, please take care of my children and promise me that for the rest of your life you will see to their needs."

Lisa then went to her sister Beth and said, "You know how deeply attached I am to you. I am going to die, but I want you to remember how much I love you. My estate will be worth one million dollars and I am leaving it all to you."

When Lisa died, Mary kept her promise and cared for the children. She had to work two jobs to cover all the expenses.

Beth inherited the estate.

The last thing Lisa said was "I truly care about my children's future."

The Reverend Dr. Glenn Thomas Carson is President of Disciples of Christ Historical Society, a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)