The Parable of the Space Rocket

A four year old boy loves space rockets and desperately wants to make one. He gets some cereal packets and some glue and tries to put them together to make his rocket. He knows what he wants... the biggest, most amazing space rocket that he can imagine, but he has no idea how to make it. He tries to put the pieces together as best he can but they aren't sticking properly and because he's impatient he doesn't wait for the glue to dry anyway. He looks at his attempt and knows that it isn't right but he also knows that he tried his best.

Then he realises that he needs some help. He gets his dad and says that he wants a space rocket. His dad immediately understands what is in the boy's heart and helps him to make the rocket. His dad knows that the glue hasn't been left to dry for long enough and so explains lovingly how it's necessary to wait until the glue has set when it will be much stronger. In addition to the few boxes the boy has found, dad knows where there are other things that they could use too. He has some shiny paper in his desk and he has some bottle tops that he was going to throw away. With his dad's help, the boy makes a rocket beyond what he had dreamt of and better than he had imagined. The rocket of his dreams only consisted of 3 boxes stuck together and if he had managed that on his own he would have been pleased with it. With his dad's help, he has a rocket that is well made, brightly coloured, won't fall apart easily - with shiny bits and digital readouts and cotton wool smoke.

Later that day his sister comes along whilst the glue is drying and whilst she is playing and not looking at what she is doing, the rocket gets knocked over. The boy is outside playing. Dad sees what has happened though and without even mentioning it to his son, he fixes the rocket.

The next day, when the rocket is completely dry and looks amazing, the little boy plays with it all day and is really happy. Not jus because he loves his rocket, but because of the time his dad spent with him making it and the things that he learnt that he will use next time he wants to make something.