Wills
had been a hardworking gardener. He was a
conscientious and diligent man, perpetually active and never lazy. Above all, Wills was completely honest, a veritable
model of integrity. Now he was an
octogenarian, one who realized with satisfaction that he had accomplished all
that he could over the span of his lifetime. One day, Wills called his two sons to his sickbed
and asked, “My dear children, have you paid much attention to the beauty and
bounty of my garden?”
“Yes
father, we have. Why do you ask us such
a thing?”
“Just
look out this window and you will see the wonderful potential of the trees in
the orchard to bear sweet and delicious fruit!” the gardener exclaimed.
“Yes,
father. It is an incredibly beautiful orchard.
Have you forgotten that we have tasted
its delicious fruit all these years?”
The
gardener looked over at his familiar and useful spade, which he still kept there
in the corner. And then, he carefully
examined his aging hands, which were worn and wrinkled from decades of labor. Afterwards, he noticed his son’s hands, that they
were totally soft due to a lack of diligent work.
Wills
said, “My children, you have not worked a single day in your lifetime, and I
have doubts whether you will work very hard in the future. But there is something I must tell you. Out there is a huge hidden treasure between
the trees. Both of you must dig into the
earth and try to acquire this treasure. All
my property is yours, but you will have to put in strenuous effort.” And after telling them so, the gardener died.
The
sons did not delay. They were saddened
at their father’s passing, but thrilled at the prospect of finding something of
value that might cause them to live worry-free the rest of their lives. So they took the spade their father had kept
in the corner and started digging in the earth between the trees. They worked tirelessly for the whole week. In the process of clearing the ground, they removed
all stones and weeds. But they failed to
find any treasure beneath the ground. So
they changed locations and dug in the earth between other trees in the orchard.
They did not locate any treasure there
either. Nevertheless, after two months
of intense labor in every part of the orchard, they noticed that all the trees were
thriving, loaded down with enormous and plentiful fruit.
Both brothers
worked well together, harvesting their fruit, and selling it in the marketplace.
And they received a huge sum of money
for their efforts. But by now, they understood
the priceless worth and immeasurable value of labor. They smiled brightly with a clear
understanding of what their father had meant when he spoke the simple word, “treasure.” Both brothers resolved to work consistently
and harmoniously to honor the life and legacy of their father and to be a blessing
to their families.
So think…what are YOU
doing? Are you laboring with diligence and determination to invest in your own life, and in the lives
of others? Or, are you living far
beneath your privilege and potential?
