Saturday, March 25, 2006
The Bible and the Coal Basket
An old man lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern
Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning
Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table
reading his Bible.
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to
imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the
Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and
what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the
book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in
the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to
the river and bring me back a basket of water." The
boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out
before he got back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move
a little faster next time," and sent him back to the
river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was
empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told
his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water
in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I
want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard
enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try
again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he
wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as
fast as he could, the water would leak out before he
got back to the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran
hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket
was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!" "So
you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at
the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time
realized that the basket was different. It had been
transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now
clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You
might not understand or remember everything, but when
you read it, you will be changed, inside and out.
That is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives."
-Author unknown
posted by SALT @ 10:48 pm
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