HOW are you Bob? asked a friend, and before he could say Jack Robinson, or it’s Asian equivalent I had poured out my complaints to him, and then he reminded me of a story I’d written about before and which I’m going to bring back today:
A man raced down the hospital steps one rainy day and jumped into a passing bus with the remark, “What a beautiful day it is!” The rain was pouring in torrents, it was dreadfully cold and everyone was bemoaning the foul weather.
The conductor remarked, half amused, “You must be mad, Mister, to call this a beautiful day!” “You’d be as mad with delight”, the man replied with enthusiasm, “If you also had recovered your sight after three years of blindness.”
None of us want to go blind but just suppose we could start appreciating stuff as if we’ve got back our sight, or hearing or taste buds! A legend goes about two angels who were sent down to earth, each with a basket. They went from place to place, to poor houses and rich houses, visiting children saying their prayers, and also people in their places of worship.
Finally they came flying back with their loads. The basket borne by one of the angels was heavy whilst that of the other was pathetically light. I’m sure you’ve guessed the rest of the story? The first basket was filled with petitions of people asking God for something or other and the other little basket, the one nearly empty: It had a few thank you notes.
Yes, we forget so easily about being thankful. Two days ago, I watched loved ones weeping around the body of a close friend of mine who had passed away very suddenly. Just a few days before he had gone, his wife had talked to me over the phone and had had told me he had cancer.
Suddenly their lives had changed, suddenly all the things they took for granted was going to go. I stood around his body, and felt a sense of thankfulness that God still gave me good health.
That I still could write. That I could see. Think about it as you complain next time, isn’t there so much to be grateful for that your words of complaint should freeze in your mouth? Be thankful, with a grateful heart..!
