04/22/17 Weekend Grif.Net – Keeper of the Spring
[Story from Peter =
Marshall, Chaplain of the US Senate]
The "Keeper of the Spring," was a quiet forest dweller who lived =
high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps. The =
old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town =
councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the =
mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. =
With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the =
leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have =
choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water.
The village soon =
became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated =
along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses =
located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally =
irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond =
description.
Years passed. One =
evening the town council met. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s eye =
caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. =
Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep =
him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the =
strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn’t necessary any =
longer." By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man’s =
services.
For several =
weeks, nothing changed.
By early autumn, =
the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped of and fell =
into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One =
afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A =
few days later, the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy =
film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor was =
soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to =
a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and =
sickness reached deeply into the village.
Quickly, the =
embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross =
error in judgment, they rehired the old keeper of the spring, and within =
a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels =
started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the =
Alps.
Never become =
discouraged with the seeming smallness of your task, job, or life. Cling =
fast to the words of Edward Everett Hale: "I am only one, but still =
I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and =
because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can =
do. " The key to accomplishment is believing that what you can do =
will make a difference.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"