There are so many places where we're told that even bad things are not all bad because God is in control. Genesis 50:20, Proverbs 16:4, Isaiah 57:1, Romans 8:28 are a few examples.
I heard this story in church this morning. It sounds like one that probably has been around for a while and is more than likely apocryphal, but it makes the point.
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Quite a long time ago, a prince grew up with a servant assigned to him and the two became close friends. The servant had the unusual habit of saying, "This is a good thing" about everything that happened. The prince got used to hearing the phrase and never really thought much about it.
Eventually the prince grew older and became king. He was an avid hunter and always took his servant with him on the hunting trips. The servant's job in the field was to load the king's rifle and take care of any game the king shot. On one trip, the servant loaded the gun incorrectly and when the king fired it, the breech exploded and the king lost his thumb. His servant said, "This is a good thing." The king, as you might imagine, did not share his feeling. Angry and upset, he blamed his childhood friend and threw the servant in prison.
About a year later, the king had learned to compensate somewhat for the missing thumb and was on another hunting trip. This trip was near an area inhabited by hostile cannibals. He was captured and taken to their village. They began to make preparations to kill him until one of them noticed the missing thumb. In that culture it was considered unlucky to eat anyone who was missing a body part. They released their captive unharmed.
The king had a lot to think about on the trip home. The first thing he did on his return was to release his servant and apologize to him. "If you hadn't misloaded the gun, I would not have lost my thumb and I would be dead. You were right. It was a good thing that happened. I'm sorry I put you in prison."
His servant answered, "No, that too was a good thing. If you hadn't put me in jail, I would have been with you."
Sunday, January 8, 2012
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