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Inspirational
Stories
HOSPITAL
ROOM AND HOPE
Two
men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each
afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed
was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend
all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on
end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes,
their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where
they had been on vacation.
Every
afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit
up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all
the things he could see outside the window. The man in the
other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his
world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity
and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park
with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while
children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm
in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the
city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As
the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail,
the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes
and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the
man by the window described a parade passing by. Although
the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In
his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it
with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. One morning,
the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only
to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had
died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called
the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As
soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could
be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the
switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left
him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one
elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He
strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the
bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could
have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such
wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded
that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She
said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."
Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite
our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness
when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count
all the things you have that money can't buy. "Today
is a gift, that's why it is called the present."
-
Author Unknown
The Cracked Pot
A
water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the
end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the
pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had
a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his
master's house it had leaked much of it's water and was only
half full.
For
a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering
only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection,
and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of
what it had been made to do.
After
two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it
spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am
ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?"
asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I
have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only
half my load because this crack in my side causes water to
leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because
of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't
get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The
water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his
compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house,
I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took
notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the
side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end
of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out
half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer
for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there
were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the
other pot's side? That's because I have always known about
your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds
on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back
from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have
been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's
table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not
have this beauty to grace his house."
Each
of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But
if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace his table.
In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don't be afraid
of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause
of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.
-
Author Unknown
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Cosmos
of Happiness
