538- Who will Rescue the Ship?

 

St-Takla.org Image: A farmer, cultivation - Itissa Taklahimanot Monastery - From St-Takla.org's Ethiopia visit - Photograph by Michael Ghaly for St-Takla.org, April-June 2008. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: صورة: زارع، مزارع، فلاح يقوم بتفليح الأرض - من ألبوم صور دير إتيسا تكلاهيمانوت (محل ميلاد القديس تكلا هايمانوت) - تصوير مايكل غالي لموقع الأنبا تكلاهيمانوت، من رحلة موقع الأنبا تكلا إلى إثيوبيا، إبريل - يونيو 2008.

 Alexander noticed that his son was always depressed. He embraced him. As he talked to him, he realized that he was depressed because of his feelings of failure. The son said, “I don’t know why God created me? I am the youngest of my brothers, weak, untalented and all people mock at my words. I am of no use.”

In the morning Alexander took his son to the field and asked him to water the plants. At noon as it was very hot, he took him under the shadow of a big tree where there was a vat of fresh water. They drank then Alexander said, “Look at this huge vat full of water, put on a stand. The vat is supported on the stand by a date seed, without which it would fall. Sometimes we’re like a date seed of no use, but without which the vat would be broken and we wouldn’t find this fresh water when it is hot. Don’t belittle yourself even if you’re like this date seed. Did you hear about the man who was talented in making the wireless?”

“No.”

“Many years ago, the Television hasn’t been invented yet and it was rare to have a radio as it was expensive. Communication was through the telegraph which gives signals translated into words by operators miles away. There was a man living in a country on the Mediterranean Sea. He was fond of receiving signals sent by the ships to the lighthouse for rescue and translating them. He used to spend many hours doing this specially by night. During a stormy night he found that his apparatus stopped completely. He went out to the garden and climbed a high tree to fix the wire of the apparatus. As it started working, he heard a message sent repeatedly. He realized that a ship was calling for help as it was about to drown because of the storm. He phoned the lighthouse soon. When he told the man responsible about the message he said, “I was busy receiving other messages.” Then he sent a rescue team which rescued the ship few minutes before drowning. Thus, with his simple apparatus, this man did what the lighthouse didn’t do. God is able to save by many as by few.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: من ينقذ السفينة؟

I know that I am very small,

I hand You my life and my talents.

You use me, as You do not despise the little ones.

You save by many and by few.

Long The Conqueror of Men

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

A Burning Hut