Why God's word is sometimes ignored

Early one morning John did his usual brisk walk to the bus stop to go to work.  Rubbing his hands together he willed his body to warm up on the journey.  Arriving at the bus stop John was taken aback to see the strangest of sights.  A man stood at the bus stop was wearing one of the coats he sells in his shop.  The problem was, he was wearing it inside out.  John was used to talking to people but even he struggled to craft the opening line.  He shuffled as he kept glancing at the man wearing the inside out coat.  After a while John blurted out, "Sorry to bother you but I couldn't help noticing your coat!"  The man turned, extended his hand and said "Steve... hi, nice isn't it!" John looked at him, shook his hand and noticed that Steve genuinely did not know the coat was inside out. After a long ten seconds or so John went for it, "Well the thing is..." Steve interrupted, "You wouldn't believe how much attention I get because of my coat."  John opened his mouth ready to speak when Steve blurted, "And it's really really warm!"
"But it's inside out!" insisted John biting the bullet. Steve looked at him with a furrowed brow and lifting both hands up stated, " I'm offended.  I thought you were admiring this lovely coat but you just want to be awkward and insult me." John was taken aback by the immediate level of injury his statement made and concluded Steve likes his coat a little bit too much.  "Hey I didn't mean to offend you but I sell those coats." John's word seemed to add insult to injury. "I've met the designer and you are wearing it wrong!" Steve took a step back and John knew he was going to defend his coat,
"Look, this coat is warm, my arms go in the sleeves, and I get lots of attention... I don't care who made the coat... it suits my purposes."  Frustrated, John shook his head at the scale of Steve's blunder.
"But the zip and buttons are on the inside, you can't use the pockets and the seams are on show... everywhere!  Here, this is the design on my phone!" Steve briefly glanced at the phone.
"I wear this coat this way, maybe the designer had his way and I have mine.  It works... for me!"
Almost at the point of anger John insisted, " But it isn't doing what it was made to do!"
"Who cares, it's warm!"
"But it would be warmer the other way around!" Exasperated John gave up. "Look," Steve exclaimed, "Just to show you I'll give it a try..." Steve quickly took his coat off and with a cynical glance turned the coat the right way around, "Ridiculous!" he said under his breath as he put the coat back on.  Steve's face lit up as like it was the first time ever he zipped up the coat. Awed, Steve began fastening the buttons as the coat hugged his body for the first time.  Looking at John and the coat he grabbed his hand and shook it with vigour. "All these years I've worn my coats the way I was told to wear it, the way my friends wore theirs but now... now... it fits perfectly! Thanks you so much!"  John was wrestling with this unusual scenario but somehow felt good that someone had decided to try following the designers plan for the coat. "Hey Steve, do you have a phone?" John enquired.  "Ill send you the design."  Grasping into his pocket Steve pulled out a smart phone and a pencil. "Show me the design." Asked Steve.  Looking at the design on John's phone his tongue darted to the corners of his mouth as he began sketching it on the back of his phone. John just looked at Steve and decided one battle was enough for today.


Gary Ward