The Obstacle In Our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

Moral of the story: Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances, and whilst the lazy complain, the others are creating opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity and willingness to get things done.

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A Pound of Butter

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the right amount, which he wasn't. Angry about this, he took the farmer to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure to weight the butter. The farmer replied, “Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.”

The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?”

The farmer replied;

“Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”

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The Group of Frogs

As a group of frogs were traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that they’re was no hope left for them.

However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they proceeded to try and jump out of the pit. Despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top of he pit were still saying that they should just give up. That they would never make it out.

Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and he gave up, falling down to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.

He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?”

The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

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Hard Work Always Pays

Once two friends called Harry and Garry came to a city to earn money. They went to a rich merchant for a job. The merchant gave each of them a cane basket and pointing towards a well in his garden said, "Take these baskets and draw water from the well till dusk."

Harry thought it foolish to draw water in a cane basket. So, he slept. On the other hand, Garry kept working. After few hours, when he drew the basket up, he saw some gold coins in the basket.

He took them to the merchant who rewarded him and gave him a job too. Harry went away ashamed.

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The Story of the Rainbow

LEADER: Once upon a time, all the colors in the world started to quarrel; each claimed it was the best, the most important, the most useful, the favorite.

GREEN SAID: Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees, leaves - without me all the animals would die. Look out over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority.

BLUE INTERRUPTED: You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is water that is the basis of life and this is drawn up by the clouds from the blue sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace you would all be nothing but busybodies.

YELLOW CHUCKLED: You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun.

ORANGE STARTED NEST TO BLOW ITS' TRUMPET: I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the inner needs of human life. I carry all the most important vitamins. Think of carrots and pumpkins, oranges, and mangoes. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one give another thought to any of you.

RED COULD STAND IT NO LONGER IT SHOUTED OUT: I'm the ruler of you all, blood, life's blood. I am the colour of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire in the blood. Without me the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love; the red rose, poinsettia and poppy.

PURPLE ROSE UP TO ITS' FULL HEIGHT AND SPOKE WITH GREAT POMP: "I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs and bishops have always chosen me for I am a sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me - they listen and obey.

INDIGO SPOKE MUCH MORE QUIETLY THAN ALL THE OTHERS, BUT JUST AS DETERMINEDLY: Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me, you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep waters. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace.

LEADER: And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced that it was the best. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of brilliant white lightning, thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors all crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

THEN THE RAIN SPOKE: You foolish colors, fighting among yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Do you not know that God made you all? Each for a special purpose, unique and different. God loves you. God wants you. Join hands with one another and come with me.

God will stretch you across the sky in a great bow of color, as a reminder that he loves you, that you can live together in peace, - a promise that he is with you, - a sign of hope for tomorrow.

And so whenever God has used a good rain to wash the world, he puts the rainbow in the sky, and when we see it, let us remember to appreciate one another.

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The Interview With God

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

 "Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?"

"If you have the time," I said.

God smiled and said:
"My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; What questions do you have in mind to ask me?"

"What surprises you most about mankind?"

God answered:

"That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again...

That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health...

That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future...

That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived."

God's hands took mine and we were silent for awhile and then I asked... "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile:

"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved...

To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives...

To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis...

To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least...

To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them...

To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness...

To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings...

To learn that money can buy everything but happiness...

To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different...

To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them, and likes them anyway...

To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."

I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer."

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The Labourer and the Nightingale

A Labourer lay listening to a Nightingale’s song throughout the summer night. So pleased was he with it that the next night he set a trap for it and captured it. ‘Now that I have caught thee,’ he cried, ‘thou shalt always sing to me.’ ‘We Nightingales never sing in a cage.’ said the bird. ‘Then I’ll eat thee.’ said the Labourer. ‘I have always heard say that a nightingale on toast is dainty morsel.’

‘Nay, kill me not,’ said the Nightingale; ‘but let me free, and I’ll tell thee three things far better worth than my poor body.’ The Labourer let him loose, and he flew up to a branch of a tree and said: ‘Never believe a captive’s promise; that’s one thing. Then again: Keep what you have. And third piece of advice is: Sorrow not over what is lost forever.’ Then the song-bird flew away.

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