The Strength of Humility

by Sant Rajinder Singh

A Story from the Book

“Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living”

[ ISBN-10 0-918224-52-7]

[ISBN-13 978-0-918224-52-I]

A group of soldiers was trying to lift a large piece of timber.  The corporal stood by the side, commanding the men to heave harder to lift the timber.  A stranger rode by on his horse and observed the scene.

          He said to the corporal, “Don’t you think if you helped them, the strength of one more man might help them to life the timber? Why don’t you help them?”

          The corporal replied, “That is not my job.  I am the corporal.  It is for them to do the work.  That is not the work of a corporal!”

          With that, the stranger dismounted from his horse, joined the ranks of the soldiers and helped them to lift the timber. The added strength of one man was all it took to lift the wood.

          Having completed the task, the stranger mounted his horse.  Before departing he turned to the corporal and said, “The next time you have a piece of timber you need help lifting, corporal, call for the commander-in-chief.”

It was them that the men realized that the stranger was none other than George Washington, the first president of the United States, the commander-in-chief of the army.

~

This story symbolizes true humility.  Many feel that we are so important that we cannot do the chores in our family, the menial work, or even the small, behind-the-scenes work in our offices.  We feel ourselves to be high and mighty.  Interestingly, we find in the lives of evolved people an incredible humility that draws them to work among the lowly workers.

          The next time we think of how important we are, or we get a bloated ego, think of the truly great people who humble themselves to be of service to humanity.  None is so great that he or she cannot share in the burden of his or her neighbor.  We are never so great that we cannot lend a helping hand to someone in need.  After all, we are enlivened by God. It is God who makes our life possible and bestows gifts on us.  Without God, we are nothing.  It is God who makes us who we are.

          If we could be like the commander-in-chief and dismount our horses to help one another, we would find the grace of God ready to pour out blessings to us in abundance.

~*~

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