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And After That?

1/14/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs... I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you!  You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch.  With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City!  From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards?  Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing.  "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions?  Really?  And after that?" said the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your grandchildren, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings doing what you like and enjoying your friends."

And the moral is: Know where you're going in life... you may already be there.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 5 (2007).


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Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows?

10/3/2013

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast.  He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.  

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters.

He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up!  A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"  The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens

were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 4 (2006).


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The Power of Gentleness

5/31/2013

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
One of Aesop's fables tells of a dispute between the wind and the sun as to which had the greater strength. In order to settle it, they agreed that whichever could force the traveler coming down the road to take off his coat would be proved the stronger of the two. The wind was the first to try. He puffed, and he roared, and he wailed; but the harder he blew, the colder the traveler became and the more closely he wrapped his coat around him. Then came the sun. Quietly and gently he shone down on the road until, in the comforting warmth of his rays, the traveler threw aside his coat. And the gentleness of the sun was proved the stronger than the bluster of the wind.

We live in a noisy, competitive, violent world. Headlines shout at us as if blaring through bullhorns. We are encouraged to be assertive, to fight our way to the top, to "look out for number one." Somehow we allow ourselves to believe that roughness and rudeness are signs of strength.           

We underrate gentleness, thinking that because it does not advertise itself it cannot be important. But the force of gentleness is tremendous. Consider that softly dripping water, quietly and patiently over the years, can wear down a rock. A young tender plant can seem to force its way through impenetrable concrete or frozen ground.

Love is expressed through a gentle whisper, not a jolting shout. Healing comes from the gentleness of a listening ear, the patient presence of a friend. We seem to believe that if we talk in a loud voice, our words will carry more conviction. But it is not the power of our voices, but the wisdom of our words that matters.



Author: Anne B. Townsend. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 3 (2005).


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The Cushion of the Sea

2/9/2013

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Picture
© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain submerged for many hours. When it returned to the harbor, the captain was asked, "How did the terrible storm last night affect you?" The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, "Storm? We didn't even know there was one!"

The sub had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached the area known to sailors as "the cushion of the sea." Although the ocean may be whipped unto huge waves by high winds, the waters below are never stirred.

We encounter our own storms almost every day. Hectic pressures of a busy schedule seem to bounce us around like angry waves. The winds of family, job, and unmet expectations force us off course as we attempt to find the harbor of fulfillment. Unable to calm the storms, we become frantic for a safe refuge.

Those storms on the surface will be with us always, just taking new forms and coming from a variety of directions. The "cushion" that will protect us is found under the surface of our lives, deep within. We must cultivate a sense of tranquility and a place of peace.


© 2004, John C. Fitts, III.  All Rights Reserved.  Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

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    Author

    John Fitts is a retired hospital chaplain and a contributor & publisher of Grace Drops. John lives in Palm Harbor, Florida with his artist wife, Patty. 
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