Seven Parables and Stories for the Week: Issue 29
The World Around Us
There was
a dried up tree not far from the roadside.
A thief
was walking past the tree at night. He saw the silhouette from afar and thought
that it was a policeman standing by the road. The thief was terrified and ran
away.
A lover
was walking past the tree in the evening. He noticed the delicate silhouette
and thought that it was his girlfriend waiting for him. His heart started
pounding faster. He smiled and increased his pace.
A woman
with her child was walking past the tree during the day. The toddler who had
heard too many dreadful tales, took the tree for an evil giant and burst out
crying.
However,
the tree remained the same all along!
The world
around us is the reflection of ourselves. It depends on how we see it!
The Unfathomable
A man was
crossing the desert with his family. They were fatigued by thirst when they saw
a well at a distance and ran towards it. The inner voice warned the man that
the water in that well was poisoned. He preferred to ignore that warning and
gave that water to his wife and kids. When he took the last ladle from the well
and was just about to drink it, he saw that his wife and children were dying in
agony. He prayed to God:
– O Lord
rescue my family, save my children and my wife! The thirst took the better of
me, and I ignored your warning.
– I will
return your family back to life, – the Lord responded, – if you answer one
question. What is the most unfathomable thing humans do?
The
traveler spent a long time thinking, afraid to come up with a wrong answer.
Finally, he said:
– The
most unfathomable thing that humans do is that they see other people dying
throughout their entire lifetimes but still go on living as if they will never
die.
Upon
hearing this, God brought the man’s family back to life.
Visited by God
In a
village, there was a cobbler who led a righteous life and had a strong faith.
Unfortunately, the cobbler fell ill on the eve of a great church holiday. He
was very sad at the thought that he would not make it to the church. Suddenly,
he had a dream in which a quiet and meek voice told him, “If you can’t come to
Me, I will visit you on this day.”
The
cobbler got up and was very happy, “Will the Lord himself come to me?” he was
thinking. He spent the whole morning tidying up his house and cooking delicious
food. He did whatever he could to greet the long-awaited divine Guest. While he
was doing the chores, he looked out of his window and saw a weeping boy. The
cobbler called the boy and asked him:
– Why are
you crying?
– I’ve
torn my boots and I have nothing to wear. My family is poor and we can’t afford
new boots.
The
cobbler reassured the boy:
– Give me
your boots, I’ll mend them.
After a
while, the cobbler handed the mended boots to the boy, who was beaming with
joy. The boy thanked the cobbler and said goodbye. The man went on preparing
for the Divine visitation.
At the
sunset, a poor woman came to the cobbler and said:
– I’m so
sorry! I asked you to mend my winter shoes but I don’t have money to pay for
it. At the same time, I can’t just go without them because it’s getting cold
outside…
The
cobbler smiled and replied:
– Your
winter shoes are ready. Wear them and spare them. – He gave the shoes to the
woman and didn’t ask her for anything in exchange.
Night
fell upon the village. The cobbler had done all his work. He was sitting by a
window and waiting for the heavenly Guest. The cobbler wanted to sleep. He was
bored of waiting in vain, so he decided to go to bed. All of a sudden, someone
knocked at his door.
The
cobbler opened the door and saw a traveler. The traveler said:
– Please
let me stay in your house overnight. I have been walking all day long. I’m
tired and chilly but no one lets me in for the night…
The
cobbler took pity on the stranger and let him in. He allowed him to sleep on
his own bed and made a bed for himself on the floor. He was almost asleep when
he thought to himself, “I must be unworthy of the Guest because He didn’t come
to me today… He must have deemed me unworthy of spending this great holiday
with him.” The cobbler finally fell asleep thinking these sad thoughts.
He heard
the quiet voice again in his dream. The voice told him:
– I’ve
visited you three times today, and I’ve enjoyed the way you greeted me every
time.
Loving Heart
A college
student from a poor background fell in love with a rich girl. She invited him
to her 20th birthday celebration.
The
girl's parents had invited many affluent friends of theirs to the birthday
party of their only daughter. The guests came with expensive gifts, as if
competing who would give the girl a better present. What could a poor student
give but for his loving heart? It isn't valued high enough nowadays. A loving
heart is not a piece of jewellery — you can't put it in a posh case — and not bank
notes that you can put in an envelope.
What
could the student do? He spent a long time thinking about it and finally came
up with a solution. He went to a boutique and asked:
– Do you
have a broken vase? I'd like to buy it if I may.
– Yes,
you can have it, sir.
– How
much does it cost?
It was
cheap: what else would one expect? The student had it wrapped and left the shop
with a big bundle, happy and excited. When it was time for the guests to give
their presents to the girl, the student approached her and handed his bundle
over to her, with words of appreciation. Then he intentionally made a clumsy
move and the bundle fell to the floor.
The
guests were shocked. The sad girl took the bundle from the floor and started
unwrapping it. Oh! The clerk had wrapped each piece of the broken vase
separately. The guests were furious at the evident lie and the young man had to
run away because he was ashamed. However, the pure soul of the girl saw these
broken pieces as more precious than all other gifts. She could see the man’s
loving heart in them.
Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love?
therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. (Jer.2:33)
Thus The Two Candles Spoke
– Poor
you, – an unlit candle told her lit friend.– Your time is short. You keep
burning and soon you’ll burn down. I’m much luckier: I don’t burn and therefore
I don’t melt. I will survive for a very long time, while your days are
numbered.
The
burning candle replied:
– I don’t
feel pity that I am burning. My life is amazing and meaningful. Sure, my wax
melts down but many other candles catch fire from me, and my fire is not
diminished by them in any way. When my wax and my wickle perish, my fire, which
is a candle’s soul, will reunite with the universal fire, which it had
previously been a part of, and I will get back to my magnificent and splendid
house of fire. While I’m still here, I drive the darkness of the night away; I
make homes brighter and cozier; I make children happy when I shine on a
Christmas tree; I burn contagious agents away from a sick person’s bed; I am a
symbol of a prayerful effort when they light me up in front of sacred images.
Isn’t my short life brilliant? I pity you, o my unlit sister. Your fate is
miserable. Why do you exist? You haven’t fulfilled your destiny; and where is
your soul, your fire? Yes, you will remain intact for many years but who needs
you, what are you worth? Indeed, it is better to burn than to sleep because
burning is life and sleeping is death. You pity me because I will soon burn
down and cease to exist but you have never begun to exist in the first place,
and you will die without having existed.
А City of Chains
There was
a merchant who went to a distant land and came to a strange town where all
inhabitants wore chains. The merchant thought to himself, “What if they make me
wear chains, too? What do I do?” All of a sudden, several guards appeared in
front of him and, seeing that he was free, handcuffed him and put chains around
his ankles immediately. Unable to return home, the merchant was dismayed. He
started asking the unlucky residents of the town why they wore chains, and they
replied that that was a long tradition in their town. The merchant asked, “Are
all residents of the town doomed to wear chains all their lives?” The people
replied, “It is believed that an old man comes to the town once in a while. He
is free and does not wear chains. He is the only person who knows how to get
rid of them. He appears so seldom that many people doubt that this story is
true.” “I see no way out,” the merchant thought, “except waiting for that old
man and learning how to break free.”
Many
years later, the merchant was old and white-haired. One day he suddenly met an
old man freely walking down the street without chains or handcuffs.
— Sir, —
the poor prisoner exclaimed, — help me to get free from these chains please.
— My son,
— the old man advised, — just say to yourself, “I want the guards to release
me,” and you’ll be free.
The
merchant thought that it was a bad and bitter joke but he decided to give it a
try and uttered these words. Guards immediately appeared to him and released
him.
The
merchant hurried away from that strange town in surprise. When he left its
gates, he saw the same old man again.
— Please
tell me sir, — the merchant urged, — what is the secret of this strange town?
— This
town is a special place where people become prisoners and get released just by
thinking about it. You got saved because you believed me. Those who don’t
believe me, remain in this town forever, and I cannot help them anymore.
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. (John 8:31-32).
I’m Real!
A family
came to a cafe for a lunch. The waitress took the adults’ orders and then
turned to a seven-year-old boy.
– What
would you like to order?
The boy
looked at his mother and father and said shyly:
– I’d
like some French fries...
Hardly
did the waitress write down his order than his mother intervened:
– No
French fries! Bring him a steak with mashed potatoes and carrots.
The
waitress ignored her words.
– Would
you like your French fries with sauce or with ketchup? – she asked the boy.
– With
ketchup, please.
– Your
order will be ready in a minute, – the waitress said and left for the kitchen.
All were
silent. Finally, the boy looked at his parents and said:
– You
know what? She thinks I’m real!
Translated from: azbyka.ru/days
