A SINGLE NAIL

"Give anyone an inch, and they'll take a mile..." - Anonymous

On page 35 of Dale A. Hays, Leadership, Vol. X, No. 3 is the following illustration. In a recent trip to Haiti, I heard a Haitian pastor illustrate to his congregation the need for total commitment to Christ. His parable: A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn't afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: He would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door. After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became un-live-able, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.

You know it is funny how that very many people, wish to serve God,

HOLES IN A WALL

"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough." - Bruce Lee

Holes in a Wall

There was once a little boy who was talented, and extremely bright. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted as friend. When he got angry, he usually said and did very hurtful things. He seemed to have little regard for people around him. Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!”

As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they could do. Finally, the father had an idea, he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!” By the end of the first day, he had driven 37 nails into the fence. Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled. Holding his temper proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence! Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about that accomplishment.