Once upon a time two brothers, who lived on adjoining farms, fell
into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side
by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed
without a conflict.
Then the long collaboration fell apart. It
began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference,
and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by
weeks of silence.
One morning there was a knock on the older brother’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s tool box.
“I’m looking for a few days’ work.” – he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with?”
“Yes.”
– said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the
creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor; in fact, it’s my younger
brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his
bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well,
he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better.”
“See
that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence –an
8-foot fence — so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.”
The
carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails
and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”
The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.
The
carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About
sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his
job.
The
farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at
all. It was a bridge — a bridge stretching from one side of the creek
to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all — and the
neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his arms
outstretched — “You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all
I’ve said and done.”
The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand.
They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder.
“No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.
“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to build.”
Friday, 26 July 2013
Do you build Bridge or Fence?
21:59
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1 comments:
What a story! Very inspirational… As a human., or specially as a christian, we should be the way or bridge for the others who became separated because of the conflicts…. Nice. God bless….
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