Monday, November 14, 2011

Pastor's Column Nov. 13, 2011

PASTOR’S COLUMN. Centuries ago, a scholar on his way to church was surprised to see a man in tattered clothes and barefoot. Nevertheless, as a good Christian, he greeted the poor man: “May God give you a good morning!”

The poor man replied cheerfully, “I have never yet had a bad morning.”

“Then may God give you good luck!”

“I have never yet had bad luck.”

“Well, may God give you happiness!”

“I have never yet been unhappy.”

The scholar then asked the man, “Could you please explain? I don’t understand.”

“Certainly,” said the man. “You wish me a good morning, yet I have never had a bad morning. For when I am hungry, I praise God; when I feel cold, or when it’s raining or snowing, I praise God; and that is why I’ve never had a bad morning.

“You wish that God may give me luck. However, I have never had bad luck. This is because I live with God and always feel what he does for me is the best. Whatever God sends me, be it pleasant or unpleasant, I accept with a grateful heart. That is why I have never had bad luck.

“Finally, you wish that God should make me happy. But I have never been unhappy. For all I desire is to follow God’s will; I have surrendered my will so totally to God’s will that, whatever God wants, that is what I also want. That is why I have never been unhappy.” - Attributed to Meister Eckhart – D.J.

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