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| The Box-A Parable | |||||||||||||
| Once, a very long time ago, there was a box.� It was an old box, with many scars and scratches on its surface. �While it was a very solid box, and there were hints of the beauty it once possessed, it had been badly battered over the course of time. | |||||||||||||
| It came to pass that all of the people developed a desire for boxes.� It became the fashion to have flashy, decorated boxes for one to store one?s treasures in.� The flashier the better.� The box wanted so badly to be owned by someone and have their treasures stored in its confines.� It presented itself to every person who came searching for a box, sure that its sturdiness and solid construction would attract the attention of one of the passers-by seeking for just such a box. | |||||||||||||
| But, over time, the box kept getting passed by by all the glamorous and important people who came searching for boxes.� It just was not pretty or flashy enough for them.� In fact, many comments were made about how such a homely box should not be offering itself as it would be an embarrassment to anyone who owned such a box.� The box was very sad and very disheartened.� It was sure that it would never belong anywhere, nor ever hold anyone?s treasures because of its scars and blemishes. | |||||||||||||
| By and by, there came a man, a humble man of modest means.� He was looking for a box to hold his treasures.� He wanted a strong and solid box.� He saw the old box and thought that it just might do, after all. | |||||||||||||
| So he took the box home with him.� He sanded the rough scars off, and lovingly polished the finish to restore the box to a bright glow.� Inside, he placed his greatest treasure, the family bible his grandmother had passed down to him. | |||||||||||||
| When his neighbors saw his treasure box, they were amazed.� They knew that he did not have the means for such a rich and intricate box and they could not understand how he could afford such a box. | |||||||||||||
| He explained it to them this way.� You see, when I saw this box, it was beaten and ragged, but the construction was solid.� I brought it home and with time and loving effort, I was able to restore this box to its original splendor.� All it took was an eye for true worth, and the willingness to spend the time and effort to restore it.� Now it is a box fit to hold the greatest treasure a man could have, A little sanding, a little varnish, and a little polish all applied with love and care, and it is now a box fit to hold my family bible.� Never let a flashy appearance be the deciding factor when you buy a box." | |||||||||||||
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