We go through different situations everyday. Some of these situations either leave us happy or utterly depressed. We don’t know if this situation is working for or against us? Experience however, tells me that things work together for my own good.
A Chinese story is told about an old farmer who had an old horse for tilling his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and, when all the farmer’s neighbours sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, ‘Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?’
A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbours congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, ‘Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?’
Then, when the farmer’s son was tasked with taming one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this as very bad luck but not the farmer, whose only reaction was, ‘Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?’
Some weeks later the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg they let him off. Now was that good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?
I just love the attitude of the Chinese farmer. He does not respond to the situation but realizes that the situation is just a season and the outcome of everything is not dependent on it. Many a time we get too excited or too depressed by temporary situations in our lives that we don’t realize it may change anytime and who knows whether it is good luck or bad luck. I hope we learn to remain positive; knowing that in the long run, things will work for out for our own good. To read more posts by Mercy, click HERE
