Friday, January 16, 2009

WONDERFUL WATER

A lady complained to the vicar that she was forced to quarrel frequently with her annoying mother-in-law. The vicar analysed the problem and gave her a bottle of water saying, “It is water from a holy land. Whenever your mother-in-law makes an irritating comment, fill your mouth with this holy water and keep it in your mouth for two minutes. Be careful not to spill it or swallow it till the end of two minutes. Then you can drink it and continue the conversation. Your problem will be solved.” The lady thankfully went home with the bottle. The next week, she returned and gladly reported that the water was working wonderfully. She wanted another bottle of it as the stock was over. The priest refilled the bottle and this exercise continued successfully. After a month, he told her, “Now you need not come to me for the water. You can refill it at home from your own well”. Later the lady learned how the trick worked. The water had prevented her from quickly reacting to the old lady’s comments impulsively. She practised the principle of patience and led a peaceful life thereafter.
Let us learn to be patient. Impulsive reactions to other’s comments create unnecessary quarrel.
“Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them His children” {Matthew 5: 9}.


By Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India.
This is story No84 in this site. Please click ‘older posts’ at bottom of page to read previous stories.

No comments: