seekingchrist
Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2008
- Messages
- 128
Out in the fields beside the mountains a baby boy was born. Days passed, and seasons, and years. He grew tall and strong and wise. Just as his father before him, he became a farmer and found himself a wife and had children. His field grew precious grain, enough to feed them and clothe them and put a roof over their heads One evening, as the day's heat was fading away the man walked among the rows of wheat and barley and corn. He heard a voice calling out to him. At first he looked around, but he realised that it was God speaking to him.
"I have provided you with a wife and children, a house and crops. Are you happy?" said God.
With his mouth the man answered that yes, he was happy but in his heart he had some learning to do before he was truly happy. Some years later the man had sons that grew up and it was time for some of them to find themselves wives. They did and soon had babies born. When the first son's child was born, its aunts and the mother and other friends came together to celebrate the birth of the child. While they were talking and laughing, a storm built up and as the rain beat down and the wind blew strongly, the house began to buckle. The baby boy and two of his aunts were trapped under a fallen wall. The aunts were pulled out quickly, but the baby was pinned under rubble and broken wood. They pulled him out alive but he died hours later.
When the man learned of his grandchild's death, he once again went out to walk in his fields. Again, he heard a voice calling him.
"I have given you a wife and children, a house and crops. Are you happy?" God said.
The man angrily replied, "Why would I be happy? A storm just killed my grandson. Why didn't you protect him?"
He stood there and looked upward but recieved no reply. After a while he sighed and walked back up to the house.
A few years later, a drought came. The crops had little water to grow from. One night as the man and his wife lay in bed, lightning struck in the field and set the crops ablaze. Awakened by the sound, the man got up and watched the fire burn. He watched until the morning came and all the crops had been burned. As the embers began to cool, the man walked the same path, through where the crops once stood. He heard a voice.
"I have given you a wife and children, and a house to live in. Are you happy?" God said.
Once again, the man looked up angrily. "I have lost my crops in a fire. The ground cannot grow grain while it heals. Why would I be happy?"
Again, given no answer, he stalked back to the house.
The dry spell continued. Months passed, and no more crops could grow. Grassfires spread for miles. On a sunny, dry day, sparks lighted on the farmhouse and it began to burn. Flames soon brought the house to the ground. The man and his wife and their children escaped, but nothing else was saved.
The man walked on his bare land and looked up to the heavens.
God said,"I have provided you with a wife and children, air to breathe and land to walk on. Are you happy?"
"No. I am not," said the dejected, beaten man, and he walked away.
Seasons passed and the land healed. Crops grew on the land but did not provide enough grain to sell to pay off the debts from the dry months. The man and wife and the remaining children had to move off the land and live with his brother down the road.
In the fall, a sickness spread through the farms in the area. The man's wife got ill and was bedridden. The sickness stayed with her through to the winter. When the first snow fell, she became very weak and could not eat. Within days she died.
As the man prepared to have his wife buried, he walked through his brother's fields as he had walked through his own. He listened for God's voice and heard:
"I have provided you with a place to lie your head and children to carry your name. I have given you air to breathe and water to drink. Are you happy?"
The man looked heavenward with tears streaming down his face. He asked God why he had been so cursed in all these years and what he had done to deserve it. He received no answer.
As a few more years passed, the man reached the age of sixty. His children had all left home and started their own families. They rarely visited him and he became very lonely. He had no house of his own, no wife, no children with him, no land. He had no crops to walk amongst anymore to speak with God. Instead he prayed in his bedroom at his brother's house. He prayed that God would bring back his wife, his kids, his land, his house. He did not expect an answer as he had learned over the years.
One warm, clear night he lay awake. He heard crickets chirping and an owl hooting. He got out of bed and walked outside. There was a warm breeze flowing through the night air. The old man sat under a large tree and closed his eyes, thinking fondly of the things he had lost. He soon drifted off to sleep. As he awoke, he saw tiny ants marching and he saw the worms that wriggled in the earth. Gulls flew above and chickens and geese strutted around. The warm sun beat down on the land and tickled his face. A stray cat walked over and sniffed his hands. A bird cried out in the trees. The man began to pray.
"God, you have provided me with a wife, children, a house, and a farm. As these were taken away, you asked me if I was happy. "I saw what I had lost, instead of what I had". But now I see the beauty of nature that you have given me. I live and breathe for you who has created me. If you ask me again if I am happy, I will say yes. And mean it."
The man heard nothing, but the cat curled up on his lap and began to purr. The birds began to sing.
Feeling as though he were the happiest man alive, he once again leaned back against the bark of the tree and drifted off.
"I have provided you with a wife and children, a house and crops. Are you happy?" said God.
With his mouth the man answered that yes, he was happy but in his heart he had some learning to do before he was truly happy. Some years later the man had sons that grew up and it was time for some of them to find themselves wives. They did and soon had babies born. When the first son's child was born, its aunts and the mother and other friends came together to celebrate the birth of the child. While they were talking and laughing, a storm built up and as the rain beat down and the wind blew strongly, the house began to buckle. The baby boy and two of his aunts were trapped under a fallen wall. The aunts were pulled out quickly, but the baby was pinned under rubble and broken wood. They pulled him out alive but he died hours later.
When the man learned of his grandchild's death, he once again went out to walk in his fields. Again, he heard a voice calling him.
"I have given you a wife and children, a house and crops. Are you happy?" God said.
The man angrily replied, "Why would I be happy? A storm just killed my grandson. Why didn't you protect him?"
He stood there and looked upward but recieved no reply. After a while he sighed and walked back up to the house.
A few years later, a drought came. The crops had little water to grow from. One night as the man and his wife lay in bed, lightning struck in the field and set the crops ablaze. Awakened by the sound, the man got up and watched the fire burn. He watched until the morning came and all the crops had been burned. As the embers began to cool, the man walked the same path, through where the crops once stood. He heard a voice.
"I have given you a wife and children, and a house to live in. Are you happy?" God said.
Once again, the man looked up angrily. "I have lost my crops in a fire. The ground cannot grow grain while it heals. Why would I be happy?"
Again, given no answer, he stalked back to the house.
The dry spell continued. Months passed, and no more crops could grow. Grassfires spread for miles. On a sunny, dry day, sparks lighted on the farmhouse and it began to burn. Flames soon brought the house to the ground. The man and his wife and their children escaped, but nothing else was saved.
The man walked on his bare land and looked up to the heavens.
God said,"I have provided you with a wife and children, air to breathe and land to walk on. Are you happy?"
"No. I am not," said the dejected, beaten man, and he walked away.
Seasons passed and the land healed. Crops grew on the land but did not provide enough grain to sell to pay off the debts from the dry months. The man and wife and the remaining children had to move off the land and live with his brother down the road.
In the fall, a sickness spread through the farms in the area. The man's wife got ill and was bedridden. The sickness stayed with her through to the winter. When the first snow fell, she became very weak and could not eat. Within days she died.
As the man prepared to have his wife buried, he walked through his brother's fields as he had walked through his own. He listened for God's voice and heard:
"I have provided you with a place to lie your head and children to carry your name. I have given you air to breathe and water to drink. Are you happy?"
The man looked heavenward with tears streaming down his face. He asked God why he had been so cursed in all these years and what he had done to deserve it. He received no answer.
As a few more years passed, the man reached the age of sixty. His children had all left home and started their own families. They rarely visited him and he became very lonely. He had no house of his own, no wife, no children with him, no land. He had no crops to walk amongst anymore to speak with God. Instead he prayed in his bedroom at his brother's house. He prayed that God would bring back his wife, his kids, his land, his house. He did not expect an answer as he had learned over the years.
One warm, clear night he lay awake. He heard crickets chirping and an owl hooting. He got out of bed and walked outside. There was a warm breeze flowing through the night air. The old man sat under a large tree and closed his eyes, thinking fondly of the things he had lost. He soon drifted off to sleep. As he awoke, he saw tiny ants marching and he saw the worms that wriggled in the earth. Gulls flew above and chickens and geese strutted around. The warm sun beat down on the land and tickled his face. A stray cat walked over and sniffed his hands. A bird cried out in the trees. The man began to pray.
"God, you have provided me with a wife, children, a house, and a farm. As these were taken away, you asked me if I was happy. "I saw what I had lost, instead of what I had". But now I see the beauty of nature that you have given me. I live and breathe for you who has created me. If you ask me again if I am happy, I will say yes. And mean it."
The man heard nothing, but the cat curled up on his lap and began to purr. The birds began to sing.
Feeling as though he were the happiest man alive, he once again leaned back against the bark of the tree and drifted off.
