Brewing Coffee

Torrents of rain continued to pour and the water in the pit rose to the man's knees. In the silence of the forest, he prayed to God to save him.

A painter arrived at the scene with a long ladder under his arm. He heard the prayer of the man and offered to help the man up with his ladder. But the religious man declined his offer much to his surprise.

"I want to see God. Only he should rescue me," he said.

The painter tried to convince him but to no avail. He left the scene, leaving the man to continue with his prayer.

The man prayed to God to appear in his magnificent form and rescue him out of his plight. By now, the water level had risen to his waist.

The huge pit was noticed by a locksmith who passed by carrying strong, metal chains in his hand. He, too offered to help the man up.

"I want to see God. Only he should rescue me," he maintained obstinately. The locksmith also left the scene, failing to persuade the man.

Now, the water in the pit has risen above the man's chin and he struggled to keep afloat. However, he persisted on his unwavering faith and continued to pray to God to rescue him.

Just then, a farmer stopped by at the pit with a thick rope hoisted on his shoulders. Like the other men, he too offered to help him but the religious man refused him too, citing the same reason. The farmer understood the potential danger and tried persuading the man but he remained adamant. As the others, he too, left the scene resignedly.

Eventually, the water filled to the brim and the religious man drowned. His soul drifted up to Heaven where he met God.

"You have forsaken me," he began, feeling betrayed. "I had prayed to see you and you did not come to my rescue."

A smile spread across God's serene face, "I did hear your prayer. I had sent three men to rescue you but you had refused their help. And yet, you had insisted upon seeing me and here you have got your wish," replied God in his detached, yet loving voice.

The religious man bowed his head when he realised how foolish he had been.

To think about : The religious man represents our ego and denial. The three men represent God's voice within us; each time we ignore one, he patiently conveys it again. How often have we denied our inner voice or instincts?

Moral of the story: Don't play games with God. He is a better sportsman!

I Want To See God