He’s not a midget, he’s just shrinking …

Have you ever noticed how children’s books are often great places to discover nuggets of wisdom?

One of my favorite such books is “The Shrinking of Treehorn” by Florence Parry Heide. The book tells the unusual story of a little boy named Treehorn who, one morning, awoke to discover that he was shrinking.

As he continued to shrink, the only person who noticed that he was getting smaller was his mother, yet she didn’t try to do much about the situation (after all, what do you do if your son is shrinking?). Even as Treehorn shrank so much he could hardly see the top of the dinner table while sitting in his chair, his father didn’t notice the change in his son until Treehorn’s mother brought it to his attention, and then the father’s response was simply to scold Treehorn to make sure he wasn’t shrinking “on purpose.”

As Treehorn made his way through his day … and continued to shrink … no one noticed. Not his friends. Not the school bus driver. Not his school teacher. Not the school principal. No one noticed. Some thought something was different about him, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was until Treehorn tried to explain that he was shrinking.

Even then, no one really seemed to notice.

Or care.

Fortunately, whatever it was that made Treehorn shrink went away and he soon found himself back to his former, regular size again.

But then, one morning, he awoke to discover he was turning green.

His hands were green. His arms were green. His face was green. He was green all over!

Treehorn sighed and then decided he wouldn’t mention to anyone that he was green. After all, he reasoned to himself, “… if I don’t say anything, no one will notice.”

Chances are, some time in your life you have found yourself on both sides of Treehorn’s experience.

Maybe you have had glaringly obvious challenges in your life that no one seemed to notice or care about. Perhaps you weren’t shrinking, but you might as well have been considering the impact. Yet no one said anything, no one inquired about you, no one did anything for you. Or even if they did, no one really cared.

Well, Someone did notice and care!

David wrote this about God in Psalm 139:7-12: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night — but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”

Matthew wrote this: “What is the price of two sparrows — one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).

Whatever was — or is — going on in your life, even if no one else sees or cares, GOD DOES! He sees everything about you and your life, He cares deeply, and He responds.

But how about you?

Do you notice those around you who are shrinking from the burdens of life? Do you see those who are green with emptiness, or pain, or need who are right in front of you? Do you respond to the people in your life who need someone who not only sees, and not only has feelings of care, but who need someone to help them through the shrinking or the changing colors in their lives? Do others have to tell you they are shrinking or green before you notice their need? And then, do you respond?

For all the Treehorns out there, the proverb says, “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). That friend is Jesus, who is waiting for you to share with Him whatever is going on in your life.

And for all those with Treehorns in their lives, be like that friend who “… sticks closer than a brother.”

Scotty