The Wooden Bowl

There is a story circulating on the internet called "The Tale of the Wooden Bowl". I like these kinds of stories because although they are very simple and incredibly predictable, they present a glimpse of real life with a valuable message that we should take seriously. The story goes like this;

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step was unsure. The family ate together at the table, but the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor, and when he grasped his glass milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law were often irritated with the mess, and finally the son said, "We must do something about my father. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and the mess on the floor". So they set a small table in the corner of the room and made the Grandfather eat alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner, and since the Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Occasionally, when they glanced in the Grandfather's direction, they saw tears in his eyes as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled some food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence, and one evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making", and the boy responded just as sweetly, "Oh, I'm making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up". Then the four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks, and though no word was spoken both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took the Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family, and for some reason no one seemed to care when a fork was dropped, or the milk was spilled, or the tablecloth was soiled.

This is a story about elder abuse, and it is a story about how children learn, and it's a story about how adults learn; but for me, it's a story about the importance of something as simple as the Golden Rule. Why is it that people become so tied up in their everyday activities and so focused on their own needs that they detach themselves from the people and needs around them? Pause; take a moment to unload the burden of selfishness and think about what you are about to say and do! Slow down; whatever it is that is happening around you, that you wish wasn't happening, is more important than you could possibly imagine. You and I, and everyone around us, must make an effort to follow Jesus' example, because life is hard and then you die. What we do to help each other is ultimately how we will be remembered, and how we will be judged.