As I Sit & Smoke my Pipe...

Every day humanity awakens to another decision. A decision to give or take. Most have made it up in their minds that they enjoy accumulating, and so even though the opportunity presents itself on a repeated basis, they never even give it a chance. The cares of present circumstances is so enticing that they miss the very thing that life is made of: Death. Jesus said Himself that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies, it yields much fruit. What I believe He meant from this parable is that the only life worth living is one of sacrifice to the point of death for others.

It's quite a paradox to find that the people that have the most find themselves wanting more than those who have nothing. My Grandpa told me a story of a very rich man who was stricken with disease to the point of not being able to eat anymore. As his servant pushed his wheelchair down the sidewalk, he noticed a homeless man enjoying a hamburger in the gutter. His response to the sight was that he would give everything he owned for one bite of that homeless man's meal.

As I sit here and smoke my pipe pondering this bit of wisdom left to me by my forebear, I know in my heart that I've taken more than I deserve, and so has the rest of humanity. The reason I say this is because one can never give too much, but even one bite of pleasure is more than any of us deserve. Obviously this is a very disagreeable statement, but one that, if embraced, can give life to so much good.