Four Lessons I learned from Chester the Worldly Pig

As I was reading Chester the Worldly Pig by Bill Peet to my daughter I realized that this is more than just a children's book for entertainment. There are a few key life lessons for the observant mind to learn.

The story starts off with Chester as a piglet on a farm living the typical pig farm life of eating and sleeping with the knowledge that his life's purpose is to end up as food on someone's plate. He decides that he wants more out of life, he wants to be a star in the circus and live a life of luxury and glamor. He realizes he has a fantastic nose and decides to learn to balance on it. He tenaciously practices for days and days until he's very skilled and can stand on his nose for hours on end.

The story goes on and he does end up on the circus grounds, shows off his trick, and joins the circus. Things start out as he imagined in the beginning. Things quickly change. The show starts and he's put into a cage full of fierce tigers to do his standing on the nose trick, well, he faints for freight and it only gets worse from there. He escapes the circus, and on his way to freedom gets chased by a hungry bear, only to get caught by three hungry hobos. He escapes and finally resigns himself to the life of a farm pig, eating, sleeping and getting fat. He decided that if he was going to live the life of a pig he might as well enjoy it, and he did.

The day he was to be sold to market a carnival owner stopped by the farm to buy some eggs and saw Chester. He bought chester for twice the going market rate. Why? That carnival man noticed something very special about Chester that no one else, not even Chester, had; something that had always been there (I won't give that away, you'll have to go and read the book). Chester dream was realized. He ended up center stage in the carnival, being treated kindly and living the life of a star as he had always wanted.

What can be learned from this entertaining children's tale?

1. When life throws rocks in our path we can look at them one of two ways; like a stumbling block that heeds our progression, or as a steppingstone that allows us the growth we need to realize our dream.

2. Sometimes we have to learn to surrender, to be willing to give up our dream finding the good in our circumstances as they are. As we let go of our firm grip on our dream that's when God can step in and cause things to happen in a natural way.

3. Often the blessings come after a trial of our faith. The key is to keep the faith, keep that little seed of belief alive!

4. God has provided the way for all of us to be successful in whatever we want to do.

I encourage you to read the book and please share what insights you gain from it.