wise

It is wise to keep in mind that neither success

nor failure is ever final

Roger Babson

enemies

Anger and intolerance are

the enemies of correct understanding

Mohandas Gandhi

shadow

Perhaps a man's character was like a tree

and his reputation like its shadow

the shadow is what we think of it

the tree is the real thing

Abraham Lincoln

silence

I am rather inclined to silence

and whether that be wise or not

it is at least more unusual nowadays

to find a man who can hold his tongue

than to find one who cannot

Abraham Lincoln

waiting

The Jewel Box

A group of neighborhood children would gather frequently and share what was happening in their lives. The friendship among the children was beautiful to behold and surprising knowledge flowed from these young minds.

The mother of one of the children would occasionally join the gathering and tell stories to the group. When she spoke of her “jewel box,” which was her most prized possession, she could send the children’s imaginations soaring.

She emphasized that the jewel box was so secure its contents could never be stolen! Of course, the children’s minds filled with dazzling pictures of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, and other priceless items of adornment. They daydreamed that she must be an heiress of a rich family, although her simple, everyday life did not indicate vast material wealth.

One day the children asked the woman what was in the jewel box. As the children’s eager, upturned faces waited expectantly for her reply, she smiled at each child individually. Then she beckoned them to gather around her and sit on the grass. “Let me tell you a wonderful secret,” she whispered. “The jewel box is not a material box!”

The children’s eyes were big with expectation. The mother continued, “In reality, it is the treasure chamber of your heart. And everyone has one! Its contents are the feelings of love, joy, peace, gratitude, and the faith that we are heirs to the Creator’s kingdom … truly a divine inheritance. God’s presence in your heart is an inner experience, a treasure of knowing, that abides forever.”

The children asked many questions that day. Most of them never forgot the story of jewel box and appreciated it more as they grew into adulthood.

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