10 Wild Dogs

A Story.

The late king of my community had ten wild dogs. He used them to torture and eat any of his servants who made a mistake. One of the servants gave an opinion which was wrong, and the king didn’t like it at all. So he ordered that the servant be thrown to the dogs.

The servant said, “I served you for ten years, and you do this to me? Please give me ten days before throwing me to those dogs!”

The king agreed.

In those ten days, the servant went to the guard who looks after the dogs and told him he would like to serve the dogs for the next ten days. The guard was baffled but agreed, and the servant started feeding the dogs, cleaning for them, bathing them, and providing all sorts of comfort for them.

When the ten days were over, the king ordered that the servant be thrown to the dogs for his punishment. When he was thrown in, we were all amazed to see the ravenous dogs only licking the feet of the servant!

The king, baffled at what he was seeing, said,

      "What has happened to my dogs?”

The servant replied, "I served the dogs for only ten days, and they didn’t forget my service. Yet I served you for a whole ten years and you forgot all, at my first mistake!"

The king realised his mistake and ordered the servant to be set free.

 

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Are you indispensable?

There Is No Indispensable Man
by Saxon N. White Kessinger. 

Sometime when you’re feeling important;
Sometime when your ego’s in bloom
Sometime when you take it for granted
You’re the best qualified in the room,

Sometime when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how they humble your soul;

Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining
Is a measure of how you will be missed.

You can splash all you wish when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore,
But stop and you’ll find that in no time
It looks quite the same as before.

The moral of this quaint example
Is do just the best that you can,
Be proud of yourself but remember,
There’s no indispensable man.

Damaging Yourself: Anger

On the Halloween when Dwight D. Eisenhower was ten years old, his parents let his two older brothers go trick-or-treating, but told Ike he was too young to accompany them. Having eagerly anticipated a night of fun and freedom, Dwight was crushed. He argued his case for why he should be allowed to go out, begging and pleading with his parents to change their minds until his brothers at last headed off into the night without him.

 

Completely beside himself with rage, Ike went into the yard and starting pounding away at the trunk of an apple tree, pummeling the bark until his fists bled. His father finally pulled the boy away, gave him a few swats with a hickory stick, and sent him off to bed.

Ike sobbed into his pillow, feeling like the whole world was against him.

After an hour, Eisenhower’s mother came into his room and sat down in the rocking chair beside his bed. She rocked silently for awhile, and then began to talk to young Dwight, telling him she was concerned about his anger, and that of all her boys, he had the most to learn about getting his temper under control. But striving to do so and gaining self-mastery, Mrs. Eisenhower continued, “He that conquereth his own soul is greater than he who taketh a city,” she told her son, paraphrasing the Bible. Then, Ike remembered, she offered him a piece of life-changing advice:

“Hating was a futile sort of thing, she said, because hating anyone or anything meant that there was little to be gained. The person who had incurred my displeasure probably didn’t care, possibly didn’t even know, and the only person injured was myself.”

As Eisenhower’s mother applied salve and bandages to Ike’s wounded hands, she reinforced her point by noting the way in which his heedless anger and resentment had changed nothing and only damaged himself.

Article: The Art of Manliness, June 3, 2012

My Interview (with a dead-guy).

The Greatest General, by Mark Twain:

A man died and met Saint Peter at the gates of heaven. 
Recognizing the saint’s knowledge and wisdom, he wanted to ask him a question. “Saint Peter’, he said, “I have been interested in the military history for many years. Tell me, who was the greatest general of all times?” 
Peter quickly responded, “O that is a simple question. It’s that man right over there.” 
The man looked where Peter was pointing and answered, “You must be mistaken. I knew that man on earth, and he was just a common laborer.” 
“That’s right,” Peter remarked, “but he would have been the greatest general of all time-if he had been a general.”

---What a remarkable lesson.

Shortly after reading Twain's story, I started wondering what it would be like to interview the "would-be-general." 

I imagine myself sitting across from him in a fluffy cloud, face to face with the following questions:

Q: What held you back from pursuing your dreams while you were on earth?

Q: Did you have a passion in your heart for the things of the military? If so, why didn't you enlist?

Q:  When you were alive, did you ever feel a sense of destiny?  Like God had a plan for your life?

Q:  How's the food up there?  

Q:  Followed up by, do all dogs really go to heaven?  I'm quite serious.

Q:  Finally, if  you could do it all over again, live your life again on earth, how would you live differently?

I have no idea what the answers would be to those questions.  
But what I do know, is that if you find yourself reading this, you still have a chance.  

-A chance to live.  -A chance to engage.  

What a terrible thing it would be to find out in heaven that you could have been the worlds all time greatest __________ .  

Ever hear of, "UBUNTU?"

What can "UBUNTU" teach you and I?

An anthropologist proposed a game to African tribe kids. 
He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told them that whoever got there first won the sweet fruits. When he told them to run they all took each others hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying their treats. When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had all the fruits for himself they said: UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?

Did you know that the Bible emphasizes this idea of "togetherness" throughout its pages? I searched online and look what I came up with: 

. Matthew 18:15-19.Restore one another.
. Matthew 22:35-40.Love one another.
. Matthew 23:23-26.Practice justice, mercy, and faithfulness with one another.
. Matthew 28:18-20.Disciple one another.
. Mark 9:50.Be at peace with one another.
. Luke 10:25-37.Love one another.
. John 13:14.Serve one another.
. John 13:34-35.Love one another.
. John 15:12-13, 17.Love one another.
. John 17:20-26.United with one another.
. Acts 2:42-47.Learn, share, and worship with one another.
. Acts 4:32-37.United in heart with one another.
. Acts 6:1-7.Care for one another.
. Acts 11:22-26.Encourage one another.
. Romans 1:11-12.Mutually encourage one another.
. Romans 12:3-8.Members one of another.
. Romans 12:10.Devoted to one another in brotherly love.
. Romans 12:10.Honor one another.
. Romans 12:15.Rejoice with one another.
. Romans 12:15.Weep with one another.
. Romans 12:16.Live in harmony with one another.
. Romans 13:8-10.Love one another.
. Romans 14:13.Stop passing judgment on one another.
. Romans 14:19.Edify one another.
. Romans 15:1.Bear with one another.
. Romans 15:2.Please one another.
. Romans 15:2.Build up one another.
. Romans 15:5.United with one another.
. Romans 15:7.Accept one another.
. Romans 15:14.Instruct one another.
. Romans 16:16.Greet one another with a holy kiss.
. 1 Corinthians 1:10.Agree with one another.
. 1 Corinthians 4:6.Do not take pride in one person over another.
. 1 Corinthians 10:24.Seek the good of one another.
. 1 Corinthians 12:4-27.Members one of another.
. 1 Corinthians 12:25.Equal concern for one another.
. 1 Corinthians 12:26.Suffer with one another.
. 1 Corinthians 12:26.Rejoice with one another.
. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.Love one another.
. 1 Corinthians 14:1-3.Strengthen, encourage, and comfort one another.
. 1 Corinthians 16:20.Greet one another with a holy kiss.
. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11.Comfort one another.
. 2 Corinthians 2:7-11.Forgive one another and reaffirm your love for one another.
. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21.Live for one another.
. 2 Corinthians 13:12.Greet one another with a holy kiss.
. Galatians 5:13.Serve one another in love.
. Galatians 5:15.Stop biting and devouring one another.
. Galatians 5:26.Stop provoking and envying one another.
. Galatians 6:1-3.Restore one another.
. Galatians 6:1-3.Carry each otherfs burdens.
. Ephesians 4:1-7.Bear with one another in love.
. Ephesians 4:11-16.Equip one another through speaking the truth in love.
. Ephesians 4:25.Speak truthfully to one another.
. Ephesians 4:29.Speak words that build up one another.
. Ephesians 4:32.Be kind and compassionate to one another.
. Ephesians 4:32.Forgive each other.
. Ephesians 5:19.Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
. Ephesians 5:21.Submit to one another.
. Philippians 2:1-5.Consider others better than self.
. Philippians 2:1-5.Look out for the interests of others.
. Philippians 4:2.Agree with each other in the Lord.
. Colossians 1:25-2:2.Admonish, and teach one another.
. Colossians 3:9.Do not lie to one another.
. Colossians 3:12-14.Bear with one another.
. Colossians 3:12-14.Forgive one another.
. Colossians 3:15-17.Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.
. 1 Thessalonians 2:12.Encourage, comfort, and urge one another.
. 1 Thessalonians 3:12.Increase in overflowing love for one another.
. 1 Thessalonians 4:9.Love each other.
. 1 Thessalonians 4:18.Encourage each other.
.. 1 Thessalonians 5:11.Build up each other.
. 1 Thessalonians 5:13.Live in peace with one another.
. 1 Thessalonians 5:14.Urge, warn, encourage, help, and be patient with one another.
. 1 Thessalonians 5:15.Be kind to each other.
. 2 Thessalonians 1:3.Love one another.
. 2 Thessalonians 3:15.Warn one another as brothers.
. 1 Timothy 5:20.Rebuke one another.
. 2 Timothy 2:2.Disciple and teach one another.
. 2 Timothy 2:22-26.Gently instruct one another in kindness.
. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.Teach, rebuke, correct, and train one another.
. 2 Timothy 4:1-8.Preach, correct, rebuke, encourage, and carefully instruct one another.
. Titus 1:6-11.Encourage one another by sound doctrine.
. Titus 2:1-15.Mentor one another.
. Hebrews 3:7-19.Encourage one another daily.
. Hebrews 10:24.Consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
. Hebrews 10:25.Do not give up meeting with one another.
. Hebrews 10:25.Encourage one another.
. Hebrews 13:1.Keep on loving each other as brothers.
. James 2:8.Love one another.
. James 4:11.Do not slander one another.
. James 5:9.Do not grumble against one another.
. James 5:13-16.Pray for one another.
. James 5:16.Confess your sins to one another.
. 1 Peter 1:22.Love one another deeply from the heart.
. 1 Peter 3:8.Live in harmony with one another.
. 1 Peter 4:8.Above all, love each other deeply.
. 1 Peter 4:9.Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
. 1 Peter 4:10.Use all gifts to serve one another faithfully.
. 1 Peter 5:5.Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.
. 1 Peter 5:14.Greet one another with a kiss of love.
. 1 John 1:7.Have fellowship with one another.
. 1 John 2:7-17.Love one another.
. 1 John 3:16-18.Lay down your life for one another.

Yowza! Enough "One Another's" for you? Apparently, living in community and helping one another is very close to God's heart! 
I lead a bible study where one of our key values is "family-style" ministry. Sometimes the group laughs when I ask them how a family should treat one another -but then I challenge them to consider our group the "ideal" family. A family where we get it right, a family where the standards are high. 
Let's circle back before I close. In the described African community above, UBUNTU means, "I am because we are." Think for a momenent about your life. Today. Yesterday. The day before that. Is UBUNTU a part of it? If it isn't, you might be living a bit too selfishly. Find a way to expand your living by helping others. Take a small step in the direction of UBUNTU, it will change your life for the better.