The very next day the farmer was in his field when he looked up on the hill beyond and saw his beautiful white stallion. Behind his beautiful white stallion were four more white stallions just as beautiful as his. All the people from the village came running out to the farmer saying, "It's a good thing you didn't trade your beautiful white stallion for a quarter of the king's kingdom, as now you have FIVE beautiful white stallions. You could probably get half of the king's kingdom now!" The farmer said, "I don't know if it's a good thing, I don't know if it's a bad thing, all I know is I now have five beautiful white stallions."
The very next day the farmer's son was breaking in one of the wild white stallions when he was thrown from the stallion and broke both of his legs. So now, all the people from the village came running out to the farmer saying, "What a bad thing that has happened to you. You need your son to work in the fields and now he can't as he has two broken legs." The farmer replied, "I don't know if it's a good thing, I don't know if it's a bad thing, all I know is that my son has two broken legs."
The very next day the kingdom goes to war and all the able-bodied men are drafted into the army after which they will go to the front end and they will surely die. The farmer's injured son could not go as he had two broken legs. So, all the people from the village came running out to the farmer saying, "That is a good thing that your son was thrown from the wild white stallion and broke both his legs, as he would have been drafted into the army, been sent to the front end and would have surely died." The farmer replied, "I don't know if it's a good thing, I don't know if it's a bad thing, all I know is my son can't go as he has two broken legs."
The moral of the story is that we are not to judge what is occurring in our life as "good" or "bad", but to have faith and trust in God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.Written by Armand
The disturbed mind will never truly know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. The peaceful mind will never ask. Thus, I need the integration of all Twelve Steps into my life in order to achieve the desired result - peace of mind - regardless of life's slings and arrows. As a sponsor often mentions, serenity is the absence of conflict in my thoughts, not necessarily the absence of conflict in my life. The lesson of the farmer. My alcoholic mind is rambunctious and judgmental. It will only be quieted through conscious contact with The Power Within me - no other way. That contact has become available through the action of the The Steps and the awareness of the presence of peace within me as the result. It's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteMichael love when you wrote "the peaceful mind will never bask." So true...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteA Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic trust in the Lord makes a peaceful life possible...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteTo; Dear Armand, What a gift to us to send this story which you have brought to our attention. It is such a wonder-ful story, and one
ReplyDeletethat AA teaches also, as present in the moral of the last two lines of this story.. I shall keep a copy of the story. Peace & love Irene B.
Irene Thanks...Armand
ReplyDelete