The Wishing Well

There was a wealthy man and a poor man, both were depressed beyond all measure, and one day they were both walking on the opposite sides of town. Each man individually found two cold coins. In the town they lived at it was customary to cast your change in to an old well and make a wish. So with their new found coins they decided to go to the well to make a wish. The rich man reached the well first. On the way to the well he thought about what he would wish for; he wanted a new car that he couldn’t afford, maybe a new addition to his home that was keeping him from having more company over, maybe to get a raise at work so he could have more money to spend to make him happy again. So he looked at the coin he was going to throw in and wished for happiness which he though would mean that he would get all of these, and threw the coin into the well. He placed the other gold coin in his pocket, and walked off. Not long after this the poor man reached the well. It took some time for him to think of what he was going to wish for, he needed food, his clothes were torn and needed new ones, he had no place to call home and always wanted one, but he felt that he should wish for happiness, so he tossed the coin into the well. He held tight to his other coin, for he was going to use it to buy some food and maybe find a room for the night.
Both men left the well at different times but they left in the same direction. The rich man was on his way to meet his wife and kids for dinner at a restaurant, but on the way he passed by a little girl. She was probably six or seven year old, her face was sad and she was standing holding a sign that her mother or father had written, “Any spare change”. The rich man passed her; he turned his head as not to see her and put his hand in his pocket and held tight to the coin. That night at dinner with his family he became more and more depressed because he had thrown the other coin into the well, he could have spent the coin the thought.
Some time later the poor man passed by the same way. The little girl was still out there, and her box for change was empty. The poor man only had this one coin, it was the only thing that separated him from hunger, but in his heart he felt a tug to give all that he had to this little girl. His hand still clenched around the coin, pulled it out of his pocket and gently laid it in the little girl’s box. She looked up at him with her sad eyes, and they changed to glee. She smiled at the poor man, and all of a sudden his wish became true, he was no longer sad, but happiness filled his heart even in the face of going without food and shelter for the night.


“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-23

I heard my pastor say something today that really drove home this passage of scripture and the illustration that precedes it that I have been working out in my mind this week, and he said; “In this time of Lent when we observe the time up to Easter, it should be a time of not giving things up, but of giving something.” As we look towards the cross, reflect on its meaning, its power. Then if you are like me, reflect on your life, are you happy? Does the world dictate your happiness, or can you be happy by just giving all you have to others, not because of a sense of duty or for recognition but because of the love of Christ in your life. Are you reflecting the greatest gift given, that of Christ Jesus? Just some things to think over as we draw closer to the Easter season; but something not to be forgotten afterwards, but to live out everyday.


Peace in Christ!


Also keep Vitamin A in your prayers this coming week he will be working in Gulf Port Miss with Katrina Relief, and keep me in your prayers I will be also helping out down there in a little over a week. Thanks!