A Parable

Once upon a time, three children found a small cardboard box while they were playing near a pile of fallen leaves. Opening the cover they found two compartments, one with celery sticks, some of which had wilted leaves still on them, and carrots cut in the same short lengths as the celery. The other compartment had tongue depressers with writing on them. Before the children could read them they heard a voice mumbling, "Where's my box? I just had it. Where did I put it?" Turning they saw a scruffy old man wearing a dirty denim jacket and frayed levis. They hid while they watched him search for the box but laughed and teased among each other that this was going to be fun as the man paced back and forth kicking the pile of leaves. Suddenly, he fell to his knees and began to pray to God to help him find the box. "Lord God, please find the box for me, it has my only food for the day." Silence. Then they heard, "Lord, if someone has taken it, please forgive them; maybe they need it more than I." When these words reached the children, they threw the box toward the man, but kept the sticks with the writing and as they ran away, they heard, "Lord, bless those children and forgive them, for they knew not what they did." A good distance away, the children stopped to read the first stick, which said, "Sometimes joking and laughter can be at the expense of another." The second stick read, "Do you pray to find something that is lost?" The third, "When is the last time you prayed to forgive someone who has wronged you?" And the last read, "Have you ever blessed those who harmed or attempted to harm you?"
The children walked in silence to the man who was sitting on the pile of leaves eating his meager meal. They asked him to forgive them and thanked them for the lesson he had given them. He smiled, offering to share his food with them and told them to keep the sticks and let their message be written in their hearts.
Bro. Rene