A RAINY DAY !!!!!!!!!!!!


Rainy days bring thoughts to the front of our minds. The rain slows down our whirlwind life and gives us pause to ponder how things are and maybe how they may have been. This new found slowness allows us to search for the reasons of our shortcomings and to place blame where blame should be.

Today I thought of a merchant years ago. He had been to a fair and had sold all of his wares. He had filled his pockets with lots of money. He then set out on his journey home for he wished to be in his own house before night.

At noon he came to a town and rested. When he was ready to travel on again, the stableboy brought his horse, saying:
"A nail is needed, sir, in the shoe of his left hind foot."
"Let it be," answered the merchant; "the shoe will stay on for the six miles I have left to go. I am in a hurry."

In the afternoon he stopped at an inn and had his horse fed. The stableboy came into the room to him and said: "Sir, a shoe is needed for your horse's left hind foot. Shall I take him to the blacksmith?"

"Let it be ," said the man; "the horse can very well hold out for a couple of miles more. I am in a hurry."

So the merchant rode on but before long the horse began to limp. He had not limped long before he began to stumble and he had not stumbled long before he fell down and broke his leg. The merchant had to leave the horse where he fell, unstrap his bag, take it on his back, and go home on foot.

"That darn nail," said the merchant to himself, "That is what has caused all this trouble."

As I set here in the rain today, I think of all the "darn nails" that have been in my life. If only I had listened to the stableboy more often.

Just something to think about on a rainy day.