EMPTY FAITH

Phil Scovell

By Phil Scovell

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Contact Information

Phil Scovell

840 South Sheridan Boulevard

Denver, Colorado 80226-8017

Toll Free: 888-936-0001

Voice: 303-936-2188

Fax: 303-936-1841

BBS: 303-935-6323

Internet: [email protected]

Home Page: http://www.crl.com/~zenith

My attention was always arrested by a huge transparent bin

of chocolate candy kisses as a child. It stood pretentiously in

the center of the dime store that we often frequented. It

looked, as a kid, the height of a man and must have been at least

four feet in diameter. "How much would all those cost?" I used

to wonder as I stood in front of the huge display and dreamed of

eating all of those chocolates one at a time. "I could climb

inside that big barrel and be buried alive in sweets," I mused.

One day I was in that same store with my mother and after

searching for some things on the second floor of the department

store, we walked down the steps to the main level. There was the

giant bin of candy chocolate kisses but someone had forgotten to

replace the lid. I looked right down inside the large container

and could clearly see that the barrel was hollow. The immense

container had a cylinder of cardboard rolled up inside. Only

about two or three inches of candy lined the clear plastic walls;

making passersby think the transparent drum was filled with the

candy kisses. It was a fake! Somehow, though the barrel still

contained lots of candy, I found myself disappointed.

Years later I thought of that experience. It was so

challenging as a little boy to stand in front of that monstrous

display of sweet candy and try to imagine its worth. The little

drops of chocolate were so numerous, their sweet scent was almost

overwhelming. The lights danced off their shiny foil wrappings

and made the display seem so much more spectacular. Imagine my

disappointment when I discovered it was really only partly there;

the whole barrel really wasn't filled with candy; most of it was,

in fact, empty.

I wonder if God sometimes looks down from above and

discovers all the shine and glitter, not to mention the

sweetness, is only on the outside; the center being empty (void)

of what is seen from without. If so, why not be filled with Him

so what is seen is the whole of God's presence in our lives.

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