March 17, 2009

Number11

VIEWPOINT

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, there was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”

“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered.

“His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”

“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”

“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”

“He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

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That interesting story reminds us of the truth of the statement “What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself.”  I appreciate Sally Ray for sending it to me. 

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Take Two: I didn’t read this until Monday, but it would have fit with our discussion on “The Message Is about Him.”  It seems that while speaking to a group of Hindu women, a missionary noticed one of the women silently walk away but soon returned and listened more intently than before.  Afterwards, the missionary asked her, “Why did you leave in the middle of my message?”

The woman replied, “I was so interested in the wonderful things you were saying that I went to ask your servant if you live like you teach.  He said that you do, so I came back to hear more about Jesus.”

My prayer for you today is that all your prayers are the kind that will be answered in a positive way.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile and a positive word.  RA

The Symphony of Life

To live content with small means;

to seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion;

to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;

to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;

to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.

In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.        This is to be my symphony.

 – William Henry Channing (1810-1884)