The Porch of His Presence

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BLACKBOARDS AND BLESSINGS

The Mouthful That Couldn’t Be Swallowed

A Parable from the Aquarium

In the quiet of the tank, a large fish spotted what it thought was easy prey—a small catfish resting on the bottom, still and silent.

With one swift motion, the larger fish opened its mouth wide and lunged.
But what it didn’t see were the spines.

The catfish flared its fins in defense.
And in that instant, what was meant to be swallowed became stuck—one spine lodged in each side of the predator’s mouth.

The big fish could not eat.
It could not spit it out.
It flailed in pain, trapped by what it had tried to take.

But then… hands reached in.

Not to punish, but to rescue.

The teacher, gentle and sure, wrapped the fish in wet paper, kept it safe, trimmed away the barbs, and freed it from its agony.

The catfish could not be saved.
But the discus lived—because mercy saw past the mistake.

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Reflection:

Sometimes what we grab for turns on us.
Sometimes what we think we need ends up piercing us.

But God does not abandon us to our own errors.
He wraps us in care, trims the barbs, and restores us—
Not without loss,
But never without love.