JUST FOR LAUGH
Three young men were captured by a tribe of people living in a secluded rain-forest. The chieftain declared that they will be punished but will be given a chance to have freedom if they will abide with his conditions. He commanded them, “Each of you must look for any kind of fruit in the forest and bring it to me. You will be guarded by my swordsmen, so don’t attempt an escape. Bring me ten fruits of the same kind and I’ll tell you how to attain your freedom. Just remember that your choice of fruit is related to your punishment.”
So with haste the three went out in different directions and searched for their fruits. After a while, the first young man went back and had on his hands ten ripe bananas, thinking the chief would like it. The brutal chief then gave the second condition for their freedom, “My men will put these fruits one by one into your body through your butt. You have to endure it and you must not laugh. If you laugh, you’ll be my slave for life!” So the young man was punished and because of the awkward feeling he had while the bananas were inserted in, he laughed and was sentenced to life enslavement.
The next youth arrived oblivious of what had just happened; he had a bunch of grapes on his hands. The ruler repeated his second condition with emphasis: “…don’t laugh and you’ll be free!” He felt lucky and thought that the chief was crazy to give him such an easy task. He immediately bowed down, but when one of the chief’s men attempted to insert a grape in, he started to laugh so hard throwing himself on the ground because he saw… that the last young man was coming, carrying ten pineapples on his shoulders. And the three young men lived laughingly-ever-after in the house of the chieftain!
THINGS TO LEARN
- In life we should learn how to follow simple instructions, just like: no left turn, don’t throw your garbage here, no jaywalking, turn your mobile phones on silent mode while the service/mass/seminar/meeting is going on and turn it off while inside the airplane, etc. Whew! Why can’t we do these most of the time?
- Self-control could spare you from a lot of troubles. Think before you act. Don’t do something that would make you feel sorry you’ve done it.
- You cannot tell what a single decision could bring you. When you say “Yes” to a man, it means marriage, if you lend some money to others, it means risk. If you’re broken-hearted and discouraged and you jumped off the bridge, it means death – unless the water is deep and you know how to swim!
- Where you are could be the result of your choice. Your decision determines your destiny! In every area of your life, choose wisely!
- In following the Lord, fruits do really matter. He said in His Word, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Q: How are you in following instructions? What is your weakness in making decisions?
LIVE A HAPPY LIFE
Deuteronomy 30:19-20,”This day I call heaven and earth as witness against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give…”
Joshua 24:15,”But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Proverbs 16:16, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver.”
Happy is the man who chose to serve the Lord. He will be blessed with a prosperous and meaningful life and will live longer to see his children’s children flourish. He will bear more fruits, and fruits that will last. Not just of biological fruits, but in every area of life.
By the way, laughing is good for the heart and can ease off our stressful life. But don’t exchange your freedom for a good laugh. Learn to follow instructions. Anyway, I’m just kidding, I know you’re not there in the rain-forest. How do I know? You’re reading my blog. Oh, maybe I’m wrong in my assumption. Maybe the chieftain had Wi-Fi connection installed already.