|
|
Our own unique flaws
A
water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which
he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other
pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At
the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived
only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer
delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course,
the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that
it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After
2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water
bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to
apologize to you. I have been able to leak out all the way back to your house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full
value from your efforts," the pot said.
The
bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on
your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I
have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of
the path, and every day while we walk back you've watered them. For two years I
have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without
you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the
house."
Moral:
Each of us has our own unique flaws.
We're
all cracked pots.
But
it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very
interesting and rewarding.
You've
just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.
Blessed
are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life!