Wisdom of the world - Week 142

Digging A Way Out

There's a man who has been by himself in a prison cell with a dirt floor, crude stone walls, and there's two windows one of which looks out towards the ocean. All of the sudden, he hears a scratching noise, and he looks down at the ground that is furthest away from the window facing the ocean. He sees the ground moving, and he starts to think he's losing his mind. But soon the ground breaks, and up pops a head with long hair and a beard... it's a prisoner.
And the prisoner says "Sssh. Listen. A group of us have been tunneling for about six years, and we've finally reached your cell. We have ways to cover up my entrance into this, but now it's all on your shoulders, man. All you have to do," he said while pointing out the window towards the ocean, "you just start digging here and go down about six feet and about 75 feet in that direction and there is freedom, and we're outta here!"
"Oh, I love that! That's great; I want to be free!"
"Okay, I'll check back with you in a few weeks."
Two weeks later, the pops back in to check on his friend's progress, and his friend nods back with great affirmation. "Yeah, I've done it."
So the man who was providing the instructions pops down the hole, and two seconds later pops right back up and says, "What have you done?!?!?"
"Huh?"
"I told you to dig in the direction towards the OCEAN! This tunnel that you dug goes back under the wall and into the prison yard."
"Well, the digging was easier in the other direction..."

Wisdom of the world - Week 141

Remember the Small Things


Some of my sisters work in Australia. On a reservation, among the Aborigines, there was an elderly man. I can assure you that you have never seen a situation as difficult as that poor old man's. He was completely ignored by everyone. His home was disordered and dirty.

I told him, "Please, let me clean your house, wash your clothes, and make your bed." He answered, "I'm okay like this. Let it be."

I said again, "You will be still better if you allow me to do it."

He finally agreed. So I was able to clean his house and wash his clothes. I discovered a beautiful lamp, covered with dust. Only God knows how many years had passed since he last lit it.

I said to him, "Don't you light your lamp? Don't you ever use it?"

He answered, "No. No one comes to see me. I have no need to light it. Who would I light it for?"

I asked, "Would you light it every night if the sisters came?"

He replied, "Of course."

From that day on the sisters committed themselves to visiting him every evening. We cleaned the lamp, and the sisters would light it every evening.

Two years passed. I had completely forgotten that man. He sent this message: "Tell my friend that the light she lit in my life continues to shine still."

I thought it was a very small thing. We often neglect small things.

Mother Teresa

Wisdom of the world - Week 140

Swing Set

Mr. Jones wanted to build his son a swing set. He slaved away each evening and grew tired and irritable causing concern for his wife.
"You're working so hard," she said. "Wasn't our neighbour, Mr. Williams, a carpenter when he was young? Couldn't you ask him for help?"
"But Mr. Williams has done enough work in his life. I wouldn't want to bother him."
So Mr. Jones kept working, until finally the swing set was finished, and he set it up in the back garden. A few days later, Mr. Jones went outside and found Mr. Williams gazing at the swing set.
"Hi, Mr. Williams. How do you like the new swing set?"
"Oh, it's wonderful. I built something like that for my son many years ago." His eyes looked sad, and Mr. Jones remembered that Mr. Williams' son had moved far away for a job.
"I wish you had told me you were building it," Mr. Williams said. "Your son is a good boy. I would have loved to help you do something nice for him."
They chatted for another minute, and Mr. Jones went inside, realizing for the first time that Mr. Williams was lonely.