Once upon a time two
brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into
conflict. It was the
first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by
side, sharing machinery,
and trading labor and goods as needed without a
conflict.
Then the long
collaboration fell apart. It began with a small
misunderstanding and it
grew into a major difference, and finally it
exploded into an
exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One morning there was a
knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man
with a carpenter's tool
box. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said.
"Perhaps you would
have a few small jobs here and there I could help with?
Could I help you?"
"Yes," said
the older brother, "I do have a job for you. Look
across the
creek at that farm.
That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother.
Last week there was a
meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the
river levee and now
there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done
this to spite me, but
I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the
barn? I want you to
build me a fence; an eight foot fence so I won't need
to see his place or his
face anymore.
The carpenter said,
"I think I understand the situation. Show me the
nails
and the post hole digger
and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."
The older brother had to
go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the
materials ready and then
he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard
all that day measuring,
sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer
returned, the carpenter
had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes
opened wide, his jaw
dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge
--
a bridge stretching from
one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of
work, handrails and all
-- and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming
toward them, his hand
outstretched.
"You are quite a
fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and
done." The two
brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they
met in the
middle, taking each
other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist
his toolbox onto his
shoulder.
"No, wait! Stay a
few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said
the older brother.
"I'd love to stay
on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more
bridges
to build."
REMEMBER THIS:
God won't ask what kind
of car you drove, but He'll ask how many people
you drove who didn't
have transportation.
God won't ask the square
footage of your house, but He'll ask how many
people you welcomed into
your home.
God won't ask about the
clothes you had in your closet, but He'll ask how
many you helped to
clothe.
God won't ask what your
highest salary was, but He'll ask if you
compromised your
character to obtain it.
God won't ask what your
job title was, but He'll ask if you performed your
job to the best of your
ability.
God won't ask how many f
riends you had, but He'll ask how many people to
whom you were a friend.
God won't ask in what
neighborhood you lived, but He'll ask how you
treated your neighbors.
God won't ask about the
color of your skin, but He'll ask about the
content of your
character.
God won't ask why it
took you so long to seek Salvation, but He'll
lovingly take you to
your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.
God won't ask how many
people you forwarded this too, but He'll ask if you
were ashamed to pass it
on to your friends.
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