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The Journey of an Elephant

It’s been quite an interesting week in many ways. More downs than ups, but everything is a matter of perspective. Don’t worry, the sequel is over. This is not another new perspective story.

My body is still hurting a bit from the physical effort of last Saturday's Basketball game. I guess the age is catching up. We won with a huge margin; hopefully the San Antonio Spurs will do the same.

Hey Jim, yes the Journeyman is back. Thanks for your enthusiasm. I realize that after my little vacation you are way out front in the page views competition; that being said I will catch up to you very soon. So watch out!

I heard a story of a small ant which was on the  back of a big elephant. As the elephant was riding along, it came across a small bridge. The ant was still on his back. Unfortunately, the bridge was not strong enough to hold the weight of the elephant, so it collapsed. The good news is that the bridge was not high enough so the elephant was not hurt with the collapse.

The ant which managed to remain on the back of the elephant after the bridge collapsed shouted: did you see what the elephant and I did? We just destroyed a bridge!

Do you think the ant weight had anything to do with the bridge being destroyed? The elephant did all the work, yet the ant wanted to take credit for the “work done”.

This story was a strong lesson in humility for me. How long have I tried to take credit for a result when I knew I had little to do with the result? Yet, I would proclaim loud and clear that I was the man!!

Life has a way of bringing us to a place where we have no choice but to gain a new or proper perspective.  Here we go again with perspective. Humility is something I learned the hard way. I was lucky enough to learn the reason why “bad” things were happening to me. Here is the reason why.

2 And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
3 And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
4 Your clothing did not become old upon you nor did your feet swell these forty years.
5 Know also in your [minds and] hearts that, as a man disciplines and instructs his son, so the Lord your God disciplines and instructs you.
6 So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and [reverently] fear Him.A)" style="">(A)
 
I was humbled indeed
 
Moral of the story?
Do you want to ride on a back of an elephant? Just be humble and you will cross a bridge.
 
Always a pleasure
 
Patrick
The Journeyman

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