A farmer had one old horse that he used for tilling his fields. One day the horse escaped into the hills and when all the farmer’s neighbors heard about it, they sympathized with the old man over his bad luck. “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows? Only God knows.” said the farmer.
A week later, the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows? Only God knows” said the farmer.
At a clearance sale, the wife of a federal district court judge found a green tie that was a perfect match for one of her husband’s sports jackets. Soon after, while the couple was vacationing at a resort complex to get his mind off a rather complicated cocaine conspiracy case, he noticed a small, round disc sewn into the design of the tie.
The judge showed it to a local FBI agent, who was equally suspicious that it might be a ‘bug’ planted by the conspiracy defendants. The agent sent the device to FBI headquarters In Washington, DC for analysis.
Years ago, there was a master violinist in Europe. He would play in concerts, and he had a magnificent Stradivarius violin, extremely expensive. He would play the Stradivarius violin in concert and everyone would whisper in the crowd, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.”
He would play in churches, and people would say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He even played before kings and queens, and they, too, would turn to one another and say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” All the glory went to the instrument.
I went to a wake and the deceased pastor friend of mine lied in a state of coma for a long time before The Lord took him. It became a sobering thought for me. Many of Life’s greatest lessons for me did not come from seminars or lectures, they all came from wakes and funerals.
When you go to parties your brain is parked on the parking lot. But when you go to funerals you come face to face with death? Actually no. You come face to face with the realities of life.
A Rabbi was walking home from the Temple and saw one of his good friends, a pious and learned man who could usually beat the rabbi in religious arguments. The rabbi started walking faster so that he could catch up to his friend, when he was horrified to see his friend go into a non-kosher Chinese restaurant. Standing at the door, he observed his friend talking to a waiter and gesturing at a menu. A short time later, the waiter reappeared carrying a platter full of spare ribs, shrimp in lobster sauce, crab, and other stuff that the Rabbi could not bear to think about.
As his friend picked up the chopsticks and began to eat this food, the Rabbi burst into the restaurant and reproached his friend, for he could take it no longer. “Morris, what is this you are doing? I saw you come into this restaurant, order this filth and now you are eating it in violation of everything we are taught about the dietary laws and with an apparent enjoyment that does not befit your pious reputation!”
One day in America, this conversation from women passing by a storefront nativity scene was overheard. One of the ladies said: ”Now they’re even trying to bring religion into it!” (Duh?!)
How strange that people would think that Christmas is one giant party without understanding what the celebration is really all about.
People who know me well know that I kid a lot. The Ilocana and I had a great time in Cagayan de Oro giving talks recently. My friends Dr. Alan Melicor and Chris Barrameda fetched us from the airport and they must have noticed how many people recognized me. Chris thought about this deeply and then asked me a pointed question: “Francis, how do you keep yourself from being proud as I am sure the temptation for you is great!” I looked at him and said, “Chris, it’s so hard to be humble when you’re great like me!” He frowned and then we all broke out laughing as he realized I was kidding. And then I offered an advice. The best way to deal with pride is to develop a healthy sense of amnesia. Whatever the accomplishments are, good or bad, just move on to the next task at hand knowing that we have done our best and now God will do the rest.
This story that is credited to anonymity delivers the lesson. Read the words carefully and then think through it:
Mother’s father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to some orphanage in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China! The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. “It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”
