Why did Jesus speak in parables?

Why did Jesus speak in parables? Why didn't he speak plainly to the crowds of people? I often wonder this in my own life. Can't God just tell me what decision to make, what career to choose, or who to marry? Actually, he did tell me that one and we definitely made the right decision! 

If you think about it, we would not know what to do with the plain-spoken truth. Most of the time we can't hear those things because we are not ready to receive them, or we don't want to hear them. Often, we choose not to hear because we have a different agenda or a predefined definition of truth that we measure everything by. In Jesus wisdom and kindness, he shares truth in parables to draw us in and help us relate to the truth. Little by little we let go and allow the Holy Spirit to re-condition the soil of our life until the seed can grow and bear good fruit.

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