--- On Sun, 7/12/09, hard2fig@... <hard2fig@...> wrote:


From: hard2fig@... <hard2fig@...>
Subject: Fwd: The Wicker Basket
To: drdirtyredd@..., mskimellison@..., cece604@...
Date: Sunday, July 12, 2009, 4:17 PM



#yiv1174628093 p {margin:0;}






 





 








The Wicker Basket



The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of
Eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early
sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His
grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he
could. 

One day the grandson asked, 'Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you
but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I
close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?' The Grandfather
quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, 'Take this old
wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.' 
 
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out be fore he
could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, 'You will
have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with
the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old
wicker basket was empty before he returned home. out of breath, he told his
grandfather that it was 'impossible to carry water in a basket,' and he went
to get a bucket instead. The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water;
I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard
enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. 

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his
grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak
out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but
when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath,
he said, 'See Papa, it's useless!' 
 
'So you think it is useless?' The old man said, 'Look at the basket.' 

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the
basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was
clean. 

'Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you
from the inside out.' 
 
Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God's
word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word. 
 
Thought for Today: Gods Love is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings
but not its end. 
 
I really like this story because I don't retain things too well
anymore...old age may have something to do with it but I just figure my
brain just gets overloaded! God isn't concerned about your brain anyway,
He's more concerned about your heart.

 





 




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