The Oyster

There once was an oyster
Whose story I tell,
Who had found that some sand
Had got into his shell.
It was only a grain
But it gave him great pain,
For oysters have feelings
Although they're so plain.

Now, did he berate
The harsh workings of fate
That had brought him
To such a deplorable state?
Did he curse at the government,
Cry for election,
And claim that the sea
Should have given him protection?

No, he said to himself
As he lay on a shell,
Since I cannot remove it,
I shall try to improve it.
Now the years rolled around
As the years always do,
And he came to his ultimate destiny -
Stew.

And the small grain of sand
That had bothered him so
Was a beautiful pearl
All richly aglow.
Now the tale has a moral,
For isn't it grand
What an oyster can do
With a small grain of sand?

What couldn't we do
If we'd only begin
With some of the things
That get under our skin?

Author Unknown

Praying with the Psalms by Eugene H. Peterson; Price: $10.01 (-23%) Customer Review: If you're familiar with "The Message" by Eugene Peterson, you will enjoy this daily devotional. I love what he says in his introduction, "We are most ourselves when we pray" and "When that deep, deep center of our lives is exposed -- our core humanity, which biblical writers so vigorously designate as "heart" -- [read more]

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective attitude positive pain