Music by The Refusers

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Nudge the Balance - An Inspirational Short Story by Errol Clark Halkett

Nudge the Balance

A 91-year-old woman died after living a very long dignified

life.  When she met God, she asked Him something that had really

bothered her for a very long time.  "If Man was created in God's

image, and if all men are created equal, why do people treat

each other so badly?"

God replied that each person who enters our life has a unique

lesson to teach us.  It is only through these lessons that we

learn about life, people and our relationships with God.

This confused the woman, so God began to explain:

"When someone lies to you, it teaches you that things are not

always what they seem.  The truth is often far beneath the

surface.  Look beyond the masks people wear if you want to know

what is in their hearts.  Remove your own masks to let people

know who you really are.

When someone steals from you it teaches you that nothing is

forever.  Always appreciate what you have.  You never know when

you might lose it.  Never take your friends or family for

granted, because today and sometimes only this very moment is

the only guarantee you may have.

When someone inflicts injury upon you, it teaches you that the

human state is a very fragile one.  Protect and take care of

your body as best as you can, it's the one thing that you are

sure to have forever.

When someone mocks you, it teaches you that no two people are

alike.  When you encounter people who are different from you, do

not judge them by how they look or act, instead base it on the

contents of what is in their hearts.

When someone breaks your heart, it teaches you that loving

someone does not always mean that the person will love you

back.  But don't turn your back on love, because when you find

the right person, the joy that one person brings you will make

up for all of your past hurts.  Times a thousand fold.

When someone holds a grudge against you, it teaches you that

everyone makes mistakes.  When you are wronged, the most

virtuous thing you can do is forgive the offender without

presences.  Forgiving those who have hurt us is often the most

difficult and painful of life's experiences, but it is also the

most courageous thing a person can do.

When a loved one is unfaithful to you, it teaches you that

resisting temptation is Man's greatest challenge.  Be vigilant

in your resistance against all temptations.  By doing so, you

will be rewarded with an enduring sense of satisfaction far

greater than the temporary pleasure by which you were tempted.

When someone cheats you, it teaches you that greed is the root

of all evil.  Aspire to make your dreams come true, no matter

how lofty they may be.  Do not feel guilty about your success,

but never let an obsession with achieving your goals lead you to

engage in malevolent activities.

When someone ridicules you, it teaches you that nobody is

perfect.  Accept people for their merits and be tolerant of

their flaws.  Do not ever reject someone for imperfections over

which they have no control."

Upon hearing the Lord's wisdom, the old woman became concerned

that there are no lessons to be learned from man's good deeds.

God replied that Man's capacity to love is the greatest gift He

has.  At the root of kindness and love, and each act of love

also teaches us a lesson.

The woman's curiosity deepened.

God, once again began to explain:

"When someone loves us, it teaches us love, kindness, charity,

honesty, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, and all of these can

counteract all the evil in the world.  For every good deed,

there is one evil deed.  Man alone has the power to control the

balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love

are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.

When you enter someone's life, whether by plan, chance or

coincidence, consider what your lesson will be.  Will you teach

love or a harsh lesson of reality?  When you die, will your life

have resulted in more loving or more hurting?  More comfort or

more pain?  More joy or more sadness?  Each one of us has the

power over the balance of the love in the world.

Use it wisely!"

Don't miss an opportunity to nudge the world's scale in the

right direction!

Pass this lesson of love on to those you love and those you have

hurt, and those that have hurt you, hopefully with each person

that receives this, there will be far less evil and a great deal

more love!

Errol Clark Halkett

Note:  Errol gave me a collection of many short stories he had written over the years and gave me permission to post any of them that I wished to on my blog.  I have posted a few in the past and do so again this day, the 14th of June, 2023.

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