Be Brave Not Safe

One of my Mother’s most famous words of wisdom to me, as a child, was:

Don’t worry. EVERYTHING, ALWAYS works out for the best.

She still says it to this day 🙂

After 51 years of existence I can attest to the fact that this is 100% true.

We must simply realize that we are in a continuum. That is, we may presently be in the middle of a specific event that is a single part of a much larger whole, which hasn’t yet completed its cycle of “working out.”

But, if we have patience, it (as EVERYTHING, ALWAYS does) will – work out!

Following is a parable that paints the picture so eloquently…

One day, a farmer was working in his field with his old sick horse. The farmer felt compassion and desired to lift its burden. So he let his horse loose to go to the mountains and live out the rest of its life.

Soon after, neighbors from the nearby village visited, offering their condolences and said, “What a shame. Now your only horse is gone. How unfortunate you are! You must be very sad. How will you live, work the land, and prosper?” The farmer replied: “Who knows? We shall see”.

Two days later the old horse came back now rejuvenated after meandering in the mountainsides while eating the wild grass. Twelve new, younger and healthy horses followed the old horse into the corral.

Word got out in the village of the old farmer’s good fortune and it wasn’t long before people stopped by to congratulate the farmer on his good luck. “How fortunate you are!” they exclaimed. You must be very happy!”  Again, the farmer softly said, “Who knows? We shall see.”

The next morning, the farmer’s only son set off to attempt training the new wild horses, and was thrown to the ground and broke his leg. One-by-one villagers arrived during the day to bemoan the farmer’s latest misfortune. “Oh, what a tragedy! Your son won’t be able to help you farm with a broken leg. You’ll have to do all the work yourself, How will you survive? You must be very sad”, they said. Calmly going about his usual business the farmer answered, “Who knows? We shall see”

Several days later a war broke out. The Emperor’s men arrived in the village demanding that young men come with them to be conscripted into the army. As it happened the farmer’s son was deemed unfit because of his broken leg. “What very good fortune you have!!” the villagers exclaimed as their own young sons were marched away. “You must be very happy.” “Who knows? We shall see!”, replied the old farmer as he headed off to work his field alone.

As time went on the broken leg healed but the son was left with a slight limp. Again the neighbors came to pay their condolences. “Oh what bad luck. Too bad for you”!  But the old farmer simply replied; “Who knows? We shall see.”

As it turned out the other young village boys had died in the war and the old farmer and his son were the only able bodied men capable of working the village lands. The old farmer became wealthy and was very generous to the villagers. They said: “Oh how fortunate we are, you must be very happy”, to which the old farmer replied, “Who knows? We shall see!” 

Author – Unknown

Just try proving this principle wrong…

However, before you start framing up your scenario, remember…You are in the continuum…The wheels of the universe are still turning. Until they STOP no-one can say that a particular situation didn’t work out. And, frankly, we may not be able to discern this “working out” for some scenarios, on this side of eternity. That is where faith comes in…

Thanks Mom, for those words of wisdom which have played out consistently in my life 🙂