Who moved my cheese?

Matthew Goldberg
April 28, 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Who moved my cheese? Just about a dozen or so years ago, a little book appeared by that name, written by Spencer Johnson. The book was a fable, created by Mr. Johnson, to help people deal with change. I recounted the story of two mice, Sniff and Scurry and of two "people like beings", Hem and Haw, all of whom are confronted by sudden unexpected change.

I sincerely recommend that we all read this book, available in the local library for free or found in your nearest good bookstore... I feel it's important to share the basics of the tale -- just because it strikes me as being so very appropriate for all of us in these times of unexpected change and uncertainty.

Think for just a moment...

In an hour or less a tornado could come a destroy the house you are sitting in right now. In a day's time a tsunami or an earthquake might devastate an entire city or even an island population of 10,000 or more...which happened recently in Japan.

How would you adapt to sudden change?

Please let me share the gist of the story with you...

...So, here's how it goes... these little "people", Hem and Haw, and the little mice, Sniff and Scurry, were very happy to have found (the humans by intellect and the mice by instincts) a dependable, regular supply of cheese. After a while, the humans became full of cheese, and quite frankly, a bit full of themselves. They began to take the cheese for granted and felt entitled to it.

One day the cheese was gone. The mice were quick to adapt, they scurried off to find new cheese. The people, however, over analyzed and got confused. The story goes on to show certain very helpful principles, some of which I will cite here, giving full credit to the author of the book, Mr. Spencer:

The More Important the Cheese is to You, the More you will Want to Hold on to it.

If You do Not Change you Can Become Extinct.

Moving in a New Direction Helps You Find New Cheese.

Old Beliefs Do Not Lead to New Cheese.

The Quicker You Let go of Old Cheese, the Sooner You Find New Cheese.

When You Move Beyond Your Fear, You Feel Free.

It's a great allegory and well worth reading a few times.

The Bible, in Ephesians, reminds us to be "transformed (or changed) by the renewing of our minds..." In Christ, which is the spirit of God, we are all made new.

Let me leave you with that thought for now...

Thanks for reading and thinking.

Pastor Matt