Raj Learns A Lesson [PDF]

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Raj learns a lesson



Raj is a middle aged man. Although he was born in a poor family, he was raised well by his father and mother. His father owned a welding shop, and used to work for more than 12 hours a day, so that his family could lead a comfortable life. However, Raj’s father could not earn sufficient money to provide a decent life to his family. Raj was an average student in school, and used to score around 70 percent marks. Raj’s dream was to become a doctor. Since his marks weren’t very high, he could not get the desired course that he wanted to study. Instead, he joined a bachelor’s degree course, completed the course successfully, and got a job in a company.



While his life was going on with no dramatic change, his father continued to work in his welding shop, so that he did not have to depend on Raj. After getting a permanent job, Raj’s parents wanted him to marry. He got married to a girl from his native town, and at the same time was also promoted in his job. After a few years, his wife gave birth to beautiful twin boys. Later, Raj began to earn a handsome salary, and started to live luxuriously. He bought a new house and a new car. Some of the luxuries were really unnecessary. Although his company provided him with a car, Raj purchased a new car! After an extravagant life that spanned almost 6 to 7 years, Raj was neither able to manage all the household expenses, nor pay for the children’s education and other basic necessities.



It so happened that Raj’s father fell sick, and as a result, could not continue his work in the welding shop. He requested Raj to give some money for his treatment and other household expenses. Raj, who was already suffering from financial crisis, shouted at his parents and told them that he had no money to provide. He complained to his parents, “You never sent me to a big school. I was not provided with expensive clothes. You rarely fed me with my favorite food. I was not able to taste different varieties of food. When I got low marks you didn’t have enough money to provide me with private tuition, and it took me more than 10 years to get settled. Now, while I am again struggling for money, you are not doing anything to help me, but instead are a burden to me! So, please don’t come to me again.”



His parents were left shattered.



After a week, while Raj was on an official tour, he met a small boy aged about 10 years selling toys. The boy requested Raj to buy something. Raj asked the boy why he was selling toys instead of studying. The boy replied, “My father met with an accident a year ago and he lost one hand. He cannot work now. My mother works as a maid in a few houses. I’m helping my parents by selling these toys. I go to school in the morning, and sell toys in the evenings. I work for 3 hours a day and study at night!” Raj purchased a few toys from the little boy. He thought about what the boy had said. He realized that he had been wrong in the way he treated his parents. He had learnt a lesson from the small boy. At a very small age, this boy was helping his parents, but Raj, in order to meet the demands of his lavish lifestyle, had neglected his parents. So, what can we learn from Raj and this poor, small boy? Respect is the foundation of love, and it is our duty to take care of our parents, when we get older and mature.



Gold Coins and a Selfish Man Sam was a greedy and selfish man. He always desired to have lots and lots of money and never hesitated to cheat others to make money. Also, he never wished to share anything with others. He paid very low wages to his servants. However, one day, he learned a lesson that changed his life forever. It so happened that one day, a small bag that belonged to Sam was missing. The bag had 50 gold coins in it. Sam searched high and low for the bag, but could not find it. Sam’s friends and neighbors also joined in the search, but all their efforts were in vain. After a couple of days, the ten year old daughter of a man working for Sam found the bag. She told her father about it. Her father identified the bag as the one that was missing, and immediately decided to take it to his master. He gave the bag back to his master Sam, and asked him to check whether the bag had 50 gold coins. Sam was exultant to get the coins back, but he decided to play a trick. He shouted at his worker, “there were 75 gold coins in this bag but you gave me only 50! Where are the other coins? You have stolen them!” The worker was shocked to hear this and pleaded his innocence. Selfish and greedy, Sam did not accept the worker’s story, and decided to take the issue to court. The judge heard both the sides. He questioned the daughter and the worker about the number of coins they had found in the bag, and they assured it was only 50. He cross-examined Sam and Sam replied, “Yes my lord, I had 75 gold coins in my bag, and they gave me only 50. Hence, it is quite obvious that they have stolen 25 coins!” The judge then asked, “Are you sure that your bag had 75 coins?” Sam nodded vigorously. The judge then made his judgment. “Since Sam lost a bag of 75 gold coins and the bag found by the girl had only 50 coins, it is obvious that the bag that was found does not belong to Sam. It was lost by someone else. If anyone finds a bag of 75 gold coins, I will declare that it belongs to Sam. As there are no complaints about the loss of 50 coins, I order the girl and his father to take those 50 coins as a token of appreciation for their honesty!” Honesty will always be rewarded and greed punished!



The value of a copper coin Mahatma Gandhi, honoured as the father of India, was a very special person. The following story illustrates one of the reasons for him to be called ‘Mahatma’ (great soul). Once, Gandhi was on an expedition to collect funds from various cities and villages for an organization to help the poor. He went to several places and finally reached Orissa. He organized a meeting in Orissa. There, he gave a speech to the public, requesting them to give him funds for the organization. At the end of his speech, a very old woman with bent back, tattered clothing, white hair, and shrunken skin got up. She requested the volunteers to allow her to reach Gandhi. However, the volunteers stopped her. She did not give up. She fought with them and reached Gandhi. She touched the feet of Gandhi. Then she took out a copper coin kept in the folds of her saree and placed it at his feet. Then the old lady left the stage. Gandhi very carefully took the coin. The treasurer of the organization for the poor asked Gandhi for the copper coin, but he refused to give it. “I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees,” said the treasurer. “Yet you won’t trust me with a copper coin!” Gandhi said, “This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands. If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn’t mean much.” Yes, the coin might have been the only thing that the poor old woman possessed. She did not even have proper clothes and could not afford good food. Still she gave everything she had. That is why Gandhi regarded the coin as very precious. Offering help when we have nothing or very little makes it more valuable.



The Power of Prayer WE have the promise of the heavenly Father that "the prayer of faith shall save the sick." Where children are taught this from infancy, they are more sure to have faith than are those who are converted to religion later in life. An incident came to my hearing lately which I will relate. A member of our ward is absent on a mission in Norway. After many months of travel and preaching, he became sick with a fever, and was taken to a hospital instead of to his friends. He sent a cablegram to his family informing them of his extreme sickness. This gave the hospital authorities knowledge of his being a Mormon, and they carried him out of the building and left him in the street. It took the sick man five hours to crawl half a mile to the house of a friend, where he was kindly cared for, but he rapidly grew worse from the effects of the harsh treatment and exposure he had endured. When the cable message reached his family in Utah, they gathered together in solemn prayer in behalf of the sick husband and father. The mother was a member of a Primary Association, and when the meeting was held, they made the far-off missionary the subject of prayer, all repeating in unison the words of the speaker. In due time a letter came stating that on a certain afternoon he began to recover, and next day resumed his travel on foot and preaching. Upon comparing dates it was proven that his restoration began upon the very day of their united petitions in his behalf. The ministering angels, with healing and blessing, had sped swifter than the winds, and God had fulfilled his promise to the prayer of faith of the little ones at home.