Questioning the Letter
A son wrote to his father who lived many, many miles away. The son was in need of advice. Though the son knew his father's address, he was unsure, still, that the father would receive his message.
"What if my father is too busy to take time to open my letter?" the son doubted. "Maybe I shouldn't get my hopes up that I will hear back from him."
Several days went by. As the son was outside reading on his front steps, he looked up and saw the mail carrier coming by.
"Your mail, sir." the carrier said as he handed him a stack of papers and envelopes.
The son flipped quickly through the mail as he normally did. "Trash, trash, save, bill, trash...what?"
A letter.
The man looked up toward the carrier who had walked on to the next house by now. He looked back at the envelope and opened it slowly.
"Dear son,
I received your letter and I am so thrilled that you wrote! I tore open the envelope the moment it touched my hands. I have been wondering for a long time when you would present this question to me and ask for my counsel on it. Here is what I think and what is true... "
The son grinned as he read the letter. How good it was to take in this word.
And, then suddenly, a thought entered his mind, "How do I know this is really from my father? I have not written him enough letters to know his handwriting. Maybe someone on his household staff read my letter and wrote back!"
Doubt clouded the man's heart and mind. His joy dissolved and his heart sank. His doubt had kept him from receiving anything at all.
"What if my father is too busy to take time to open my letter?" the son doubted. "Maybe I shouldn't get my hopes up that I will hear back from him."
Several days went by. As the son was outside reading on his front steps, he looked up and saw the mail carrier coming by.
"Your mail, sir." the carrier said as he handed him a stack of papers and envelopes.
The son flipped quickly through the mail as he normally did. "Trash, trash, save, bill, trash...what?"
A letter.
The man looked up toward the carrier who had walked on to the next house by now. He looked back at the envelope and opened it slowly.
"Dear son,
I received your letter and I am so thrilled that you wrote! I tore open the envelope the moment it touched my hands. I have been wondering for a long time when you would present this question to me and ask for my counsel on it. Here is what I think and what is true... "
The son grinned as he read the letter. How good it was to take in this word.
And, then suddenly, a thought entered his mind, "How do I know this is really from my father? I have not written him enough letters to know his handwriting. Maybe someone on his household staff read my letter and wrote back!"
Doubt clouded the man's heart and mind. His joy dissolved and his heart sank. His doubt had kept him from receiving anything at all.
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