JOSHUA TIME 565

Spoons
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one dayand said,"Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of thedoors andthe holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a largeround table. In the middle of the table was a large pot ofstew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouthwater. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They wereholding spoons with very long handles that were strapped totheir arms and each found it possible to reach into the potof stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle waslonger than their arms, they could not get the spoons backinto their mouths.The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery andsuffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell." They went to the next room and opened the door. It wasexactly the sameas the first one. There was the large round table with thelarge pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. Thepeople were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were wellnourished and plump,laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand.""It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. Yousee, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedythink only of themselves." A friend is someone who reaches for your hand, but touchesyour heart.People say true friends must always hold hands; but truefriends don't need to hold hands, because they know the otherhand will always be there. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fightingsome kind of battle!