The Baker and the Butter A long time ago, a baker and a farmer lived in the same small English village. These two men had a friendly arrangement in place, where the farmer would sell a pound of butter to the baker each day. One morning, the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he’d received the correct amount. To his surprise, he discovered that the farmer had sold him less butter than he’d paid for. Angry about the unfairness, he took the farmer to court. At the hearing, the judge asked the farmer whether he used any measure to weigh the butter. “Your honour, I am but a lowly farmer and do not own a proper measure. I simply use an old-fashioned scale,” he replied. “How do you weight the butter then?” Enquired the judge. To this the farmer answered: “Your honour, long before the baker started buying butter from my farm, I’ve been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when he brings me the bread, I place it on my scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it’s the baker.” Moral of the story: Karma’s a bitch! Be kind and fair to others and you’ll enjoy the rewards.
Have a beautiful day. May the Angels Shower you with Blessings Daily. x
“Do you know how hunters of old used to trap monkeys?” A man asked his child. “Rather than chasing them up a tree or shooting arrows from below, they’d put a heavy glass jar with a narrow neck on the floor, which had the monkeys’ favourite food inside. They’d then step back and hide, waiting for the unsuspecting animal to approach. When it did, the monkey would reach inside, clench a fist around the food, and try to pull it out. However, the narrow neck of the jar would stop the poor monkey from getting its hand out! It’d pull and pull, but to no avail. There was simply no way to get its hand out of the jar without releasing the food. Rather than letting go, though, the monkey would persevere, refusing to drop its dinner. The hunters would then approach and catch it to enjoy a meal of their own.” “Don’t be like that monkey,” warned the man, “In life, to fight another day and grow as person, you must know when to quit, when to move on, and when to let go of whatever’s holding you back.” Moral of the story: Sometimes you have to let go and give up what you have now in order to receive something better in the future. Don’t let stubbornness be your downfall!
It was June a few years ago right around the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. A few weeks earlier the first fireflies had appeared blinking their lights on and off in the woods around my house and the meadow in my backyard. What a joy it was seeing them again. Their little flickers of light made me smile with delight and I thanked God for them.
Now as the daylight was starting to fade I saw out my window some of the neighborhood children attempting to catch the slow moving lightening bugs. One of the girls went inside and came back with a clear, mason jar. After chasing a few without success she finally caught a firefly inside it. All the other children gathered around to watch it flickering its light on and off inside the jar. Soon darkness started to fall and the children’s Mom walked over to them and told them it was time to set the firefly free. One of the girls protested but the Mom explained that the firefly would die if left in the jar. Then she said something that still stays in my heart to this day: "It is time to let this little guy go so he can share his light with the rest of the world!"
I think that is what God in His Love wants of all of us. He wants us all to share our light with the rest of the world. He wants us to give our love to others. He wants us to keep shining even when it feels like just flickers to us. I remember when I was a child we all used to sing the song, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!” But as adults we find it hard to do so. We dwell on the darkness too much and in fear keep our light hidden away.
Don’t hide your light. Don’t keep it in a jar. Share your flickers, no matter how small they may be. Let the love inside you out. Let the glow within you drive the darkness away. Let God’s love light up your heart and then give it to the whole world. Learn from the lightening bugs. Take your little light and "Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!"
