Thomas was getting ready to graduate college. For
many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's
showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told
him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, Thomas awaited
signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the
morning of his graduation his father called him into his private
study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine
son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son
a beautiful wrapped gift box.
Curious, but somewhat disappointed Thomas
opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily,
he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you
give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy
book.
Many years passed and Thomas was very successful in
business.
He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his
father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He
had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make
arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had
passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He
needed to come home immediately and take care things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and
regret filled his heart.
He began to search his father's important papers and
saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With
tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he
read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope
taped behind the Bible.
It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the
sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation,
and the words...PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not
packaged as we expected?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Ant and the Grasshopper
The Classic Old Version
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house
and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays
the summer away.
Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food
or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
Modern Version
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its
house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays
the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering
Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a
table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this
poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding
that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government
for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).
Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh"
in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working
hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants
and Grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian
Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of
the winter.
Arjun Singh makes ' Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in
Educational Institutions & in Government Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing
left to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the
Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by
NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.
CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.
Many years later...
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar
company in Silicon Valley .
100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation
somewhere in India...
As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the
Grasshoppers, India is still a developing country !!!
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house
and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays
the summer away.
Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food
or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
Modern Version
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its
house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays
the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering
Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a
table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this
poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding
that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government
for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).
Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh"
in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working
hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants
and Grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian
Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of
the winter.
Arjun Singh makes ' Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in
Educational Institutions & in Government Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing
left to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the
Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by
NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.
CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.
Many years later...
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar
company in Silicon Valley .
100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation
somewhere in India...
As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the
Grasshoppers, India is still a developing country !!!
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