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THIS Christmas season, let us leave politics behind and talk about
things that would make us, if not better persons, at least better
Christians. Here is a story that was emailed to me by my close
friend, veteran journalist Ben Cal, one of the pioneers of the
state-run Philippines News Agency where I used to work as executive
editor. I understand that this was also emailed to him by a friend,
who got it from another friend who got it from yet another friend.
In other words, this story has made the rounds
of the Internet for some time. But this is the first time that it
got to me, and I would like to share this with you.
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One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well.
The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure
out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well
needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to
retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and
help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into
the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried
horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally
looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each
shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something
amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel
dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the
edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Moral of the story
Life is going to shovel piles of dirt on you,
all kinds of dirt. The trick to get out of the well is to shake off
the dirt and take a step upward. Each of our troubles is a
steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest well just by not
stopping, never giving up. Just like the donkey, shake that dirt off
and take a step up.
Remember these five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred. Forgive and
remember God’s unconditional love for you and all of us.
2. Free your mind from worries. Most never
happen. God is in control of everything. Let Him do it.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less I can’t remember who said
“the happiest people on earth are those who do not have the best
of everything but were able to make the best of everything whatever
came along their way.”
Parable of 3 trees
Since we are in the mood to proselytize, let me
tell you of a parable that I first heard in a homily in the church
where I hear Mass once in a while.
I usually tell this story in my classes at the
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, hoping to make believers out of my
nonbeliever students. I don’t know if I have succeeded or it was
the other way around. Since this story is already a part of the
public domain and has no copyright, I took the liberty of revising a
portion of it for easy recollection and a logical flow of images.
There were these three trees that had different
wishes. Tree No. 1 said that if he will be cut down, he would like
to be made into a luxury yacht for the rich and famous to use when
they travel around the world. Tree No. 2 said he would like to be
made into a beautiful bed with a canopy fit for kings. Tree No. 3
said that if he will be cut down, he would like to be made into an
imposing building that would tower over the city.
The trees were cut down.
Tree No. 1 was not made into a luxury yacht; it
was made into an ark—Noah’s Ark—that saved mankind after that
great deluge. Tree NThaksin Shinawatrao. 2 was not made into a
beautiful bed; it was made into a trough where the King of kings was
laid after His birth some 2,000 years ago. What about the third
tree? Tree No. 3 was not made into an imposing building but was used
to build that cross in Golgotha where Jesus Christ was crucified and
where people wondered whether He was really the son of God.
Merry Christmas to everyone.
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