Do You Get The Point?

Discovering A Better Life
P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Do You Get The Point?
News media recently carried the story of Giorgio Angelozzi, an 80-year-old widower living near Rome. He was so lonely that he put an ad in the newspaper. He offered to pay 500 euros per month - something over $650 - to any family that would "adopt" him as a grandfather. Friends, we humans want relationships. No, we need them. You see, God has created us to be social creatures. So when we either withdraw or get isolated from caring people, something happens to our emotional and spiritual lives that can be deadly. There is an old rabbinic story of a farmer who had two sons. He raised them on his farm and taught them everything he knew about growing crops and raising animals. When the man died, the two heirs owned the land and farmed it in equal partnership with each other. It was a pleasant and prosperous venture. In time, the younger brother married and had a large family of eight wonderful children. The older brother, however, remained single his entire life. In a particularly good crop year, the harvest from their joint labours was greater than ever before. So the bachelor brother thought to himself, "My brother has ten mouths to feed, while I have only one. But I know him too well to think he will be willing to renegotiate our equal partnership. I know what I will do. In the dead of night, while he is asleep, I will shift some of what I have put in my barn into his to help him feed his family." At the same time, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me a wife and these eight precious children. My brother has not been so fortunate, and he will need more in reserve for his old age than I will. But he will never renegotiate our partnership. I know what I will do. In the dead of night, while he is sleeping, I will slip some of the harvest already stored in my barn into his." So on a night when the moon was full, the two brothers came face to face - each of them on a mission of kindness to the other! According to the story, a gentle rain began to fall. But there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was God weeping for joy because two of his children had discovered the point about the real meaning of life. Life consists of relationships. To care about another is to exhibit the heart of God. Generosity is the purest exhibition of holiness. And because we humans are in the image of God, such generosity is also the secret to our own joy. Friend, as you read what I'm sharing with you today, let me ask you some questions. Should more lonely people place newspaper ads? Or should you and I be more observant? Learn to care more? Discover the real meaning of life? I believe that John Donne had an accurate insight into human nature when he declared; "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main . . ." The truth is, we can't be human alone. We need to be closely related to God and to enjoy meaningful, fulfilling relationships with others. If you would like to know more about how you can establish helpful, healthy and happy relationships, just write to me and ask for a pamphlet titled "You Can't Be Human Alone". My address is: Email me or write to me at P.O Box 1540, Albany W.A 6331. Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418

News media recently carried the story of Giorgio Angelozzi, an 80-year-old widower living near Rome. He was so lonely that he put an ad in the newspaper. He offered to pay 500 euros per month - something over $650 - to any family that would "adopt" him as a grandfather.

Friends, we humans want relationships. No, we need them. You see, God has created us to be social creatures. So when we either withdraw or get isolated from caring people, something happens to our emotional and spiritual lives that can be deadly.

There is an old rabbinic story of a farmer who had two sons. He raised them on his farm and taught them everything he knew about growing crops and raising animals. When the man died, the two heirs owned the land and farmed it in equal partnership with each other. It was a pleasant and prosperous venture.

In time, the younger brother married and had a large family of eight wonderful children. The older brother, however, remained single his entire life.

In a particularly good crop year, the harvest from their joint labours was greater than ever before. So the bachelor brother thought to himself, "My brother has ten mouths to feed, while I have only one. But I know him too well to think he will be willing to renegotiate our equal partnership. I know what I will do. In the dead of night, while he is asleep, I will shift some of what I have put in my barn into his to help him feed his family."

At the same time, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me a wife and these eight precious children. My brother has not been so fortunate, and he will need more in reserve for his old age than I will. But he will never renegotiate our partnership. I know what I will do. In the dead of night, while he is sleeping, I will slip some of the harvest already stored in my barn into his."

So on a night when the moon was full, the two brothers came face to face - each of them on a mission of kindness to the other!

According to the story, a gentle rain began to fall. But there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was God weeping for joy because two of his children had discovered the point about the real meaning of life. Life consists of relationships. To care about another is to exhibit the heart of God. Generosity is the purest exhibition of holiness. And because we humans are in the image of God, such generosity is also the secret to our own joy.

Friend, as you read what I'm sharing with you today, let me ask you some questions. Should more lonely people place newspaper ads? Or should you and I be more observant? Learn to care more? Discover the real meaning of life? I believe that John Donne had an accurate insight into human nature when he declared; "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main . . ." The truth is, we can't be human alone. We need to be closely related to God and to enjoy meaningful, fulfilling relationships with others. If you would like to know more about how you can establish helpful, healthy and happy relationships, just write to me and ask for a pamphlet titled "You Can't Be Human Alone". My address is:

Email me
or write to me at
P.O Box 1540,
Albany W.A 6331.

Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418