Thursday, December 13, 2012

a hand would be an even harder thing to give

Ecclesiastes 4:6
 
6 Better one handful with rest
than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind.
 
Contentment is not a result of finally getting what you want.
 
Two handfuls are better than one, right? I suppose it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. 
 
Two handfuls are better than one if you are in a “how many handfuls” contest, I suppose. However, two handfuls are not better than one if you are in a “lend-a-hand” contest.
 
To me, it's a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, "Hey, can you give me a hand?" You can say, "Sorry, got these sacks." ~ Jack Handey
 
If your hands are full, you have no intention or ability to lend a hand to another. If you lose your grip on something in one of your hands and your first impulse is to try to fill that hand up again, your heart is aimed at grabbing what you want at the cost of serving others to help them get what they need.
 
Contentment is not something that can be wrangled by sheer will power and effort. You cannot clamor for contentment fittingly enough.
 
The hard work of contentment is not in getting stuff, but in releasing stuff.

2 comments:

  1. One of my favorite Jack Handy quotes! :)

    Also this one:
    "If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let 'em go, because man, they're gone."

    Thanks for the reminder about contentment.

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    Replies
    1. i've always been fond of:

      “My young son asked me what happens after we die. I told him we get buried under a bunch of dirt and worms eat our bodies. I guess I should have told him the truth - that most of us go to Hell and burn eternally - but I didn't want to upset him.”

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