Diamonds

We can learn a lot from stories because stories speak to us and stick in our minds and our hearts. Jesus was the master story teller; He told stories about many things in the book of Luke. Chapter eight starting with verse 5  A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. Luk 8:6  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. Luk 8:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. Luk 8:8  And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. As we read that we soon see that the problem was in the soil and the surroundings. Read this story and see if you can see yourself in it. In Africa, a farmer heard the marvelous stories of untold wealth that other farmers were achieving by finding diamonds on nearby properties.  Filled with lust, the farmer sold his property and began to travel around looking for diamonds.  He spent his entire life looking for incredible riches but ultimately died a broken man.  In a final act of desperation, the man threw himself into the river on his former property and drowned himself. A day later, another man walked by the river and across the way saw this gleaming rock.  He picked it up, brought it home, and put it on his mantle.  A traveler came by one night, and the man opened the door to this stranger for dinner.  After dining, the traveler walked by the fireplace and saw on the mantle the most amazing diamond he had ever beheld.  He asked, “Where did you find this rock?”  The man replied, “Oh, this is a pretty big one, but I have seen hundreds of them all around here by the riverbank.”  The traveler replied, “Do you know that this is a diamond, one of the largest that I have ever seen and that it can make you richer than your wildest dreams?”  The man replied, “No, I didn’t”. Of course, the moral of this story is that we too often look for diamonds on other people’s properties when the diamonds are right under our feet.  We just don’t know what a diamond looks like. We have never tried to find out.  We just kept looking around and around everywhere for the riches but they were always right in front of us.  When we search endlessly from job to job, companion to companion, or whatever in an unsettled fashion we ultimately arrive at nothing.  We squander the wealth under our feet because we are always looking elsewhere for it.  And it does not exist elsewhere.  It exists right here. A better job will not make you happy for long, a different color of hair will not change who you really are. Beard, mustache, long hair, short hair or no hair will not make you any different. Stop looking on and in other people and take a look at yourself in the mirror and see what a wonderful person you really are. Have a great week for you are a real diamond!