Wednesday, February 01, 2006
THE WOODEN BOWL
THE WOODEN BOWL
By David Langerfeld
Feb 1, 2006
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law,and
four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was
blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.
But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating
difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped
the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do
something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled
milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."
So the husband and wife set a small table in the
corner.There,Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed
dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served
in a wooden bowl!
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a
tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had
for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood
scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"
Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for
you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old
smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then
tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken,
both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him
back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every
meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife
seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the
tablecloth soiled.
"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded
you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the
land the Lord your God is giving you. Deut. 5:16
PRAYER
"Lord Jesus, let the fire of your love and truth burn in my heart
that I may radiate the joy of the gospel to those around me."
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