The Wooden Bowl
I guarantee you will remember the tale of
the Wooden Bowl
tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four year old
grandson.
The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight
was blurred, and his step faltered.
The family ate together at the table, but the elderly grandfather's shaky
hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto
the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on
the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two,
his food was served in
a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction,
sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the
couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or
spilled food. The four year old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father
noticed his son playing with
wood scraps in the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you
making?' Just as sweetly, the boy replied, 'Oh, I am making a little
bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. The
four year old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they
were speechless. Then
tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was
spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening, the husband took Grandfather
by the hand and
gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days
he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband
nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped,
milk was spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
On a positive note, I've learned that, no
matter what happens,
how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles
things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that regardless of your
relationship with your parents,
you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
I've learned that making a 'Living' is not the same thing as making a 'Life'.
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go through
life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back.
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you
But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of other,
your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
I've learned that whatever I decide
something with an open heart,
I usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
People love that human touch - holding
hands, a warm hug,
or just a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone
and share our wonderful Lord Jesus with them.
I've learned that I still have a LOT to learn.