Sep 28
Judging
Don’t Judge Too Quickly
The acceptable and the unacceptable are both acceptable – Lao Tzu
A wise and prosperous farmer lived in northern China. He had the respect of all his neighbors because of the way he lived his life and the way he conducted his affairs. Following a violent storm in the area, he went out to his field and discovered that his best horse, a magnificent stallion, had been terrified by the storm and had broken free from the corral. The fine creature was nowhere to be found. The farmer’s neighbor’s heard about the loss and came by that evening to express their sympathy, saying, “What bad luck.” His neighbors were surprised when the farmer merely responded, “Who knows what is good luck and what is bad luck?”
The next day his stallion returned, bringing with him a herd of wild horses, all equally as strong and fast. Again, neighbors rushed over, but this time in a festive mood, saying, “What good luck!” A second time the old farmer responded, Who’s knows what is good luck and what is bad luck?”
A few days later the farmer’s only son was riding one of the wild horses. The mare threw him high into the air and when he landed, his leg was broken in several places. The kind neighbors came by to check on the young man, and said to the father, What bad luck?”
Later in the week, the army came through the village to inform the villagers that a border war was taking place. They conscripted all of the young men in the village into the army. Because the farmer’s son had a broken leg, the army left him behind, saying the he was an invalid. Again the neighbor came by, saying, “What good luck.” But once more, the farmer responded, “ Who knows what is good luck and what is bad luck?”
For me this story is instructive in two ways. First, it is a reminder that life is often a series of events oscillating between the ups and downs, between peaks and valleys, between easy times and hard times, between ecstasy and pain. When we truly realize that the flow of life, we can be more patient with the down times, and like Lao Tzu, come to the place where we can say “the acceptable and the unacceptable are both acceptable.” Second, this story powerfully teaches us that we should not be hasty in making judgments about what is good and what is bad. Often what initially appears as an enormous burden in our lives proves to be a significant blessing.
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