In a quaint village nestled among hills, there lived a man named Joshua, known throughout for his lazy ways. Each day he wandered the countryside, his eyes searching for easy pickings and ways to get food without having to do any hard work.
One morning, Joshua’s gaze fell upon a cluster of ripe apples that had been left unattended. His heart quickened with desire, and he stealthily reached out to claim his “prize”. But at the last second, a vigilant farmer caught him in the act and shouted, setting off a chase that sent Joshua fleeing into the dense embrace of the nearby forest.
As he wandered through the forest, Joshua stumbled upon a most curious sight – an old wolf with only two legs upon which to stand. Marveling at the creature’s resilience, He wondered how that wolf was surviving with only two legs when it could not run or catch prey to feed itself.
His musings were abruptly shattered by the imposing figure of a majestic lion, approaching the wolf with deliberate steps. Joshua clambered up the nearest tree, his breath caught in his throat, expecting the wolf’s demise to swiftly unfold. Yet what transpired next was a testament to divine providence—the lion, in an act of unexpected mercy, laid a portion of its catch before the wolf with compassion.
Witnessing this, Joshua’s heart swelled with awe and he felt that he had found a newfound understanding of the Lord’s plan for His creation. “Surely,” he mused, “the Lord’s hand is in all things, and He has a plan to take care of all his creation.” With this revelation warming his soul, Joshua believed that the Lord must have something planned for him too. So he left to find a place to sit and wait for someone to feed him.
He waited as days passed, with hunger gnawing at him, until at last he couldn’t bear the hunger anymore and left.
It was then he encountered an old sage to whom he poured out his tale of disillusionment and despair. “Why would God show mercy to a crippled wolf, but have none for me?”, he cried out.
The sage listened, his eyes alight with understanding, and spoke a truth that pierced the veil of Joshua’s discontent: “My son, it is true that God has a plan for everyone. And you are definitely a part of His plan. But you took God’s signs in your own distorted interpretation – He didn’t want you to be like the wolf, he wanted you to be the lion.”
Sometimes in life we may misread God’s signs based on our own flawed logic or pre-conceived notions & desires. This isn’t a cause for despair, but rather a reminder to reflect upon what might be the true meaning behind God revealing these signs to us.
I hope this story will shed light on a happier and successful path that you can take to grow closer to the Heavenly Father each day.
“And now,
Let the weak say I am strong,
Let the poor say I am rich,
Because of what the Lord has done for us…“
Reflecting on the meaning of God’s signs
The story of the “lazy wanderer” named Joshua shows us the folly when we try to interpret God’s signs to simply suit our wants in the moment. Misreading God’s signs influenced by our own desires and preconceptions, can lead us astray from the true path He intends for us. The lesson here is not of despair but of reflection and discernment, urging us to seek deeper understanding and alignment with God’s will.
It is not innately evil to want to seek the easiest path in life, in fact that is what so many of us wish for. Sometimes we even question why God has placed certain obstacles or hurdles in our path. Wouldn’t it be easier if God simply made everything smooth and gave us all that we wanted in life?
God has His reasons for everything. Even in trying times when we feel like we are being “tested” may actually be opportunities for our growth and spiritual development. We may not find every experience pleasant, but we can trust that God’s is working His way through each encounter that we are faced with.
Joshua’s initial way of life, characterized by a desire for easy gains and a reluctance to engage in hard work, mirrors a temptation prevalent in our lives. In a world that often glorifies shortcuts and immediate gratification, the lure of the path of least resistance is strong. Yet as story depicts, such “lazy” choices often lead to fleeting satisfaction and ultimately to a lack of fulfillment.
You Are Called To Be The Lion
Have you heard of the term called the victim mentality? It is a sad mental paradigm where the person constantly feels like a victim, without any power to take charge of his or her life. Those who embrace this will always be like the wolf in the story, dependent on others and constantly complaining about why they have not been blessed with more.
As a child of the risen Lord, you are no longer a victim. You have been saved by the most powerful force that transcends all bonds on this earth. God’s authority and blessings are now a part of your life, giving you the strength to overcome all things in Christ’s name.
Even if you feel like you don’t have much, or that your contributions are “so little” – every little bit that you contribute has the potential to create a huge wave of miracles for others.
“Let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done for us…”
You do not need to be the strongest men on earth to lift up others. Neither must you be the richest man to help the poor. Everything that the Lord has given us is sufficient for us to give back to others and to embody the true spirit of our Christian community.
Joshua’s journey from the shadows of a forest to the light of understanding is a metaphor for our own spiritual paths. It reminds us that God’s plan may not always be what we expect, but it is always what we need. Let us move forward with open hearts, willing hands, and the faith that, in God’s providence, we find our true purpose and fulfillment.
