Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Holding On

Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed. As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"
"Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."



I love this old parable. It is a daily reminder to myself to let go of the things of the past. I can't control them nor go back and change them so why do I still let them affect my future? Is it my drive to "perfect" myself? Or wish for a different time?

Well neither of those are going to happen. Nobody will ever be perfect nor go back to a peaceful time in their life. They can only concentrate and have a positive impact on the now. Stop letting your past ruin your now. You have no clue what the future holds so don't let your past dictate it. Give it up to God, free yourself from your "self-imposed" bonds and go forward with a fresh step, a new smile, and know your past is back on the bank while you are walking in the sun.

2 comments:

Dawn71 said...

Well spoken and eloquent to the very end!:-)

Will said...

I hold on a lot :)