I heard this story on TV one Sunday morning and I have had it stuck in my head ever since so I figured I'd share it with you, lucky you.
This is my rendition of the anecdote:
A boy was pulling his wagon up a hill and was coming to the top of the hill when one of the rear wheels fell off and went rolling down the hill. The boy, looking frustrated, said “I’ll be damned!!” but what the boy didn’t realize was that he was in front of the rectory and a priest was out on the front porch and watched the entire incident. The priest called to the boy and said “My son, you shouldn’t curse.” The boy replied, “I know Father, I’m just mad at the wheel and it just slipped out.” The priest, understanding the world we live in, accepted this explanation and said “Be more careful and be sure to think before you speak, okay?” and the boy replied “Yes, Father”, and the priest watched as the boy fetched the wheel, fixed his wagon, and went on his way.
The next day the same boy with the same wagon went up the same hill and the same thing happened. Frustrated the boy said again “I’ll be damned!!” and again the same priest was out side observing, and again he called to the boy and said “My son!” and immediately the boy knew what he had done, and apologized again for the out burst. The priest thought “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me” and then said to the boy “My son, the next time you’re frustrated instead of cursing say ‘Thanks be to God’.” The boy said “Yes, Father, I’ll try.” And he went down the hill, fetched the wheel, fixed the wagon, and went on his way.
The very next day the very same boy with the very same wagon went up the very same hill and the very same thing happened. Frustrated the boy said “I’ll be…” stopped himself, looked over at the rectory, noticed the same priest on the porch, took a breath, and said “Thanks be to God.” All of the sudden the wheel stopped and rolled back up the hill and jumped back into its proper place and the smiling boy went on his way. Seeing what had just transpired the priest exclaimed “Well, I’ll be damned!!!”
This is a reminder to us that even though we may have good advice to give, we sometimes don’t take our own advice. We must practice what we preach. It is also a reminder that even people in respectable positions are still human and must follow the same guidelines as each of us.
A boy was pulling his wagon up a hill and was coming to the top of the hill when one of the rear wheels fell off and went rolling down the hill. The boy, looking frustrated, said “I’ll be damned!!” but what the boy didn’t realize was that he was in front of the rectory and a priest was out on the front porch and watched the entire incident. The priest called to the boy and said “My son, you shouldn’t curse.” The boy replied, “I know Father, I’m just mad at the wheel and it just slipped out.” The priest, understanding the world we live in, accepted this explanation and said “Be more careful and be sure to think before you speak, okay?” and the boy replied “Yes, Father”, and the priest watched as the boy fetched the wheel, fixed his wagon, and went on his way.
The next day the same boy with the same wagon went up the same hill and the same thing happened. Frustrated the boy said again “I’ll be damned!!” and again the same priest was out side observing, and again he called to the boy and said “My son!” and immediately the boy knew what he had done, and apologized again for the out burst. The priest thought “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me” and then said to the boy “My son, the next time you’re frustrated instead of cursing say ‘Thanks be to God’.” The boy said “Yes, Father, I’ll try.” And he went down the hill, fetched the wheel, fixed the wagon, and went on his way.
The very next day the very same boy with the very same wagon went up the very same hill and the very same thing happened. Frustrated the boy said “I’ll be…” stopped himself, looked over at the rectory, noticed the same priest on the porch, took a breath, and said “Thanks be to God.” All of the sudden the wheel stopped and rolled back up the hill and jumped back into its proper place and the smiling boy went on his way. Seeing what had just transpired the priest exclaimed “Well, I’ll be damned!!!”
This is a reminder to us that even though we may have good advice to give, we sometimes don’t take our own advice. We must practice what we preach. It is also a reminder that even people in respectable positions are still human and must follow the same guidelines as each of us.
1 comment:
My Dear Grandson Matthew:
I am in awe of your "blog" site, Do you reaize hw many people might have read your words of wisdom. I have to tell your Aunt Gloria to go to your site. You know you have my attention on your site.
Just wanted to tell you I love you and miss you very much.
Love, hugs and kisses,
Your favorite grandma Jan
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