INSPIRATIONAL STORY (Hospital Window)

Hospital Window
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for
an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The
other man had to spend all his time on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They began by telling each other about their illnesses but,
eventually, their talks became more intimate as they spoke of their wives and families, their homes, jobs, their
involvemnet in the military service, where they had been on vacation and other personal matters.
Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass time by describing to
his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those
one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world
outside.
"This window overlooks a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans play on the water while children sail
their model boats." the man by the window said. "Young lovers walk arm in arm amidst flowers of every color
and a fine view of the city skyline can be seen in the distance."
While the man by the window described this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room
would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. His smile growing with every new piece of detail told
to him.
One afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although, the other man couldn't
hear the band, any commotion or excitement --- he could see it. In his mind's eye, as the gentleman by the
window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months went by as this became a daily routine. Small chitchat and an hour of the view of
the outside world.
One morning, the day nurse entered the room to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of
the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened but called the hospital
attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse
was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she began straightening up the room.
Slowly and painfully, the man propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world
outside that he had heard so much about. He strained to slowly look out the window.
It faced a blank wall.
The man was confused and somewhat disappointed. He looked forward to seeing all the wonderful things
his roommate had described to him. The park, the lake, the ducks and swans. None of that could be seen from
the bedside window.
Feeling a little frustrated the man asked the nurse, "What could have compelled my roommate to lie to me
like he did? He described such wonderful things outside this window but nothing he spoke of can be seen. All
that is visible is that ugly grey blank wall. Why did he lie to me?"

"Didn't he tell you?" the nurse responded, "He was blind so he couldn't see the wall. But maybe he
described such wonderful things because they were visions in his mind and he wanted to encourage you?'
The man laid back on his bed and let out a sigh as he softly said, "Yes, that he did." Then he whispered to
himself, "Thank you for sharing your wonderful world, my friend."
Romans 12:8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.

NLT

The mouse trap

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A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a
package; what food might it contain?
He was aghast to discover that it was a mousetrap!
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning, "There is a mouse
trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house."
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell
you this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me; I cannot be
bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mouse trap in the house."
"I am so very sorry Mr. Mouse," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do
about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, "Like wow, Mr. Mouse, a mouse trap; am I
in grave danger, Duh?"
So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected to face the farmer's
mousetrap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the
sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was
caught.
In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had
caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital.
She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh
chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main
ingredient.
His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around
the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her
funeral the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not
concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a
package. What food might this contain? the mouse wondered. He was devastated to
discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: There is a mousetrap in
the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a
grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a
mousetrap in the house! The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but
there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.

The mouse turned to the cow and said, There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a
mousetrap in the house! The cow said, Wow, Mr. Mouse. Im sorry for you, but its no skin
off my nose.
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmers
mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house like the sound of a mousetrap
catching its prey. The farmers wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did
not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmers
wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to
the farmyard for the soups main ingredient. But his wifes sickness continued, so friends
and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered
the pig. The farmers wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral,
the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next
time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesnt concern you, remember,
when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called
life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one
another. Each of us is a vital thread in another persons tapestry.

The Tale of two pebbles

03. Nov
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Thoughts
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Many years ago, a farmer had the adversity of owing a large amount of money
to an evil moneylender. The moneylender was old and had a bad eye on the
farmers daughter. Failing to get his money back, the moneylender, one day,
proposed a bargain.

He told he would forgo the debt if he could marry the farmers daughter. Both
the farmer and his daughter were appalled by the proposal and asked for
mercy. The moneylender then told them he would let the destiny decide this.
He said he will put a black and a white pebble inside a bag and then the girl
will have to draw one pebble out of the bag.
The colour of the pebble she draws will decide her fate. If the girl picks the
black coloured pebble, she would become his wife and all the debt will be
forgiven. If the girl picks the white coloured pebble, she need not have to
marry him and all her fathers debt will be forgiven too. If the girl chooses not
pick up a pebble, her father would be sent to jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path when the sharp eyes of the girl
noticed the moneylender keeping two black pebbles into the bag. He then
asked the girl to draw one pebble from the bag.
What do you think the girl might have done? What would you have done had
you been in her place? Had she sacrificed her life for her father? Had she tried
catching the him red handed?

Here is what she did.

She drew a pebble, but without looking at it, she fumbled it on the pebble
strewn path where it immediately got lost amongst thousands of pebbles lying
there.
Oh, I am so sorry, how clumsy of me! But never mind, if youll look into the
bag for the pebble that is left, you will know which pebble did I draw she said.
Since the remaining pebble was black, it must be assumed she would have
drawn the white pebble. The moneylender did not dare admit his dishonesty.
And thats how the girl changed a hopeless situation into an extremely
advantageous one.
Similarly there are many occasions when life put us in the same place as of
the daughter with the most difficult situation we think anybody has ever faced.
When we fail to answer questions life throws at us, we must remember that
There is always a solution for even the most difficult problems out there,
however many a times its not obvious.

Be hopeful. Be smart. Be strong. Happy life

PS: There may be many of you out there thinking why she didnt catch him
red handed. What I think is that had she revealed that she knew the
moneylender was cheating, there might have been a case of a rematch, where
there was a 50-50 chance of her freedom. I believe the above story is surely a
perfect one!
PPS: The above story is used many a times to appreciate the difference
between logical thinking and lateral thinking and has been extracted
somewhere from the internet.

he Tale Of Two Pebbles

by S TE PH EN on NOVEMBER 9, 2014 1 1 C OM ME NTS
in AWAK ENI N G , E DU CATI ON

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the

misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village
moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly,
fancied the farmers beautiful daughter. So he proposed a
bargain. He said he would forgo the farmers debt if he
could marry his daughter.
Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the
proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that
they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he

would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty

money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble
from the bag.
If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife
and her fathers debt would be forgiven. If she picked the
white pebble she need not marry him and her fathers debt
would still be forgiven. If she refused to pick a pebble, her
father would be thrown into jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmers
field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up
two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl
noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put
them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble
from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What
would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to
advise her, what would you have told her?
Take a moment to ponder
recommend that the girl do?

this.

What

would

you

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a
pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall
onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became
lost among all the other pebbles.
Oh, how clumsy of me! she said. But never mind, if you
look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to
tell which pebble I picked.

The moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty. The girl

changed what seemed an impossible situation into an
extremely advantageous one.
By Edward de Bono
Most problems do have a solution, sometimes we just need
to think in a different way.
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