27/07/2015
Three Pieces of Advice VS. 20 Years of Salary"
A young newlyweds were very poor and lived in a small farm. One day the husband made the following proposal to his wife:
- Honey, I will leave the house: I will travel faraway, get a job and work hard in order to be able to come back and give you the comfortable life that you deserve. I do not know how long I will stay away… I only ask one thing, please wait for me, and while I am out, you should be faithful to me, because I will be faithful to you.
So the young man left. He walked many days until he found a farmer who was in need of someone to help him. The young man came and offered his services. He was accepted! Therefore he discussed the terms with his boss:
- Let me work for as long as I want and, when I think I should go home please release me of my duties. I do not want to receive my salary. I ask you to save it for me, until the day I leave. The day I decide to go, please give me the money and I will follow my way.
They agreed in that! So, the young man worked for twenty years without holidays and without rest. After twenty years, he came to his boss and said:
- Boss, I want my money, because I am returning to my house.
The boss replied:
- All right, after all, I made a deal with you and I will stick to it. However, before you go I want to offer you something new: I will give you all your money and send you away; or I will give you 3 pieces of advice and send you away. If I give you the money, I do not give you the 3 pieces of advice. And if I give you the 3 pieces of advice, I will not give you the money. Now, go to your room, and think about your answer.
He thought for two days. Then he went to the boss and told him:
- I want the 3 pieces of advice.
The boss stressed again:
- If I give you the 3 pieces of advice, I will not give you the money.
And the man replied:
- I want the 3 pieces of advice!
The boss then told him:
- No. 1: Never take shortcuts in your life, shorter and unknown paths can cost your life;
- No. 2: Never be too curious, for curiosity towards evil can be deadly;
- No. 3: Never make decisions in moments of anger or pain, because when you repent, it could be too late.
After giving these 3 pieces of advice, the boss said to him:
- Here you have 3 loaves of bread, 2 are for you to eat during the journey and the last is for you to eat with your wife when you get home.
So, the man went on his way, after twenty years away from home and from his wife, whom he loved so much.
After the first day of travel, he found a man who greeted him and asked:
- Where are you going?
He replied:
- To a distant place which is about 20 days away if I continue walking on this road.
The man said to him:
- Oh boy, this path is too long! I know a shortcut that is very safe and you will arrive in 5 days only.
The man began to follow the path suggested until he remembered the first piece of advice. Then, he returned and followed the long path. Days later he learned that the shortcut led to an ambush.
After a few days of travel, he found a pension by the roadside, where he could rest. He paid for the room and after taking a bath he lied down to sleep.
During the night he woke up as he heard a terrifying scream. He rose to his feet and went to the door to check what happened. When he was opening the door, he remembered the second piece of advice. Therefore he returned, lied down again and slept.
At dawn, after having his breakfast, the owner of the lodging asked him if he had not heard the scream at night. He affirmed that he heard. Then, the host said:
- Were you not curious to see what happened?
And he replied:
- No! I was not!
Then the host said:
- You are the first guest to leave this pension alive. My neighbour is completely crazy. He usually shouts at night to call someone’s attention. When some of the guests come out, he kills them and buries their body in the backyard.
The man continued his long journey, eager to arrive soon. After many days and nights walking, he was very tired, but he finally saw his house far away.
It was night. He saw some light coming out from the window of his house and was able to see the silhouette of his wife. But he was also able to see that she was not alone. He came closer and saw there was a man with her. She softly caressed his hair.
When he saw that scene, his heart was filled with hatred and bitterness. He decided to rush against the two and kill them mercilessly. However, he took a deep breath and he remembered the third piece of advice.
Then he stopped, reflected and decided to sleep outside that night. He slept in the midst of the bushes and determined that he was going to make a decision on the next day. At dawn, he was calmer and said:
- I will not kill my wife and her lover. I am going back to my boss and ask him to take me back. But before, I want to tell my wife that I have always been faithful to her.
He went to the front door and knocked. When his wife opened the door and recognized him, she cried and embraced him warmly. He tried to push her away, but he was not able. Then, with tears in his eyes he told her:
- I was faithful to you and you betrayed me...
She was shocked with that accusation. So she replied:
- How did I betray you? I have never betrayed you. I waited patiently for you for twenty years.
Then he asked:
- How about the man that you were caressing yesterday?
And she said:
- That man is our son! When you left, I discovered I was pregnant. Today he is twenty years old.
Hearing that, the man asked her forgiveness. He met and hugged his son. After that he told them all the stories that he experienced when he was away. Meanwhile, his wife prepared some coffee for them to eat together, the last bread given by his boss.
After a prayer of thanksgiving, he broke the bread. When he looked at it, he found all his money inside. In fact, there was even more than the right payment for his twenty years of dedication and hard work!
Friends, our God is like this boss. When he asks us to make a sacrifice, he wants to give us more than what we give Him. He wants us to have His unique wisdom as well.
