Breathing With No Air

[Carol Anne Kincaid~Paradis]

The Story:

A boy once asked a wise old man what the secret to success is. After listening to the boy’s question, the wise man told the boy to meet him at the river in the morning and he would be given the answer there.

In the morning, the wise man and the boy began walking toward the river. They continued on into the river, past the point of the water covering their nose and mouth.  At this time, the wise man ducked the boy into the water.

As he struggled to get out, the wise man continued to push him further down. The boy felt a fish slip by his leg and squirmed to get up even harder. The man eventually pulled the boy’s head up so he could get air. The boy gasped as he inhaled a deep breath of air.

The wise man said, ‘What were you fighting for when you were under water?” The boy replied, “Air!” The man said, “There you have the secret to success. When you want to gain success as much as you wanted air when you were under water, you will obtain it. That’s the only secret.

By Jane Eggleston 

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,

Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It’s then I have to remember
That it’s in the valleys I grow. 

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God’s love
And would be living in vain. 

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it’s in the valleys I grow. 

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through. 

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan’s loss. 

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I’m feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it’s in the valleys I grow. 

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way. 

Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it’s in the valleys I grow! 

Have a  good afternoon..Love and Blessings Carol Anne..