WHEN BOTH HALVES ARE EQUAL

In Israel there once lived a righteous man who had a good-hearted wife. One night this man had a most wonderful dream where he was visited by one of God’s messengers who declared that Almighty Allah had fixed a particular life span for him.

His lifespan had a strange condition - one half would be most prosperous and successful while the other half would present him with difficulties and poverty. He could now choose which part he desired first, leaving the other part to come later in life.

The man requested for some time to think this over, as he wanted to consult his wife - he had always sought her counsel in important matters. So God’s messenger told him he would come again in his dream the following night to learn of his decision.

When he awoke he related the dream to his wife who, blessed with common sense and an everyday practical wisdom, told him to ask for a prosperous life first. She said, "And hurry up to obtain it. Maybe Almighty Allah is pleased to grant us His bounties."

If only we observe out lives keenly, there is plenty that God has specifically given us – there are so many things which are close to our hearts in this life for which we can only be grateful to the Lord.

So the next night when the messenger asked his decision in his dream, he said that he wished for prosperity in the earlier part of life. He was told that his wish shall be fulfilled.

And quite unexpectedly he began to receive all types of bounties and comforts; his business flourished and his name gained the respect of all around. He attracted all that was good in this world including friends and good health.

Then his wife told him, "Dear one, now you are a slave of Almighty Allah! Help your relatives and other deprived people. Do as much good to them as you can. What can we do with all this wealth and property? God loves those who help those less fortunate. Give that carpet away to our neighbour and those golden cups to that friend of yours…"

The man followed the advice of his wife and was not stingy in giving away his wealth in charity. He gained much and gave away nearly as much. His life was blessed with good health and great contentment. In this way, half his life passed.

At the half way point he again dreamt of the same person who said, "Almighty Allah is most pleased with you. He has seen your generosity to those who are suffering in this world. You withheld nothing from those who approached you for help.”

The man was very pleased to hear that. But that was not all. His joy knew no bounds when the man declared: “Thanks to your good deeds and your conscientiousness way of spending God’s gifts, Allah has now decided to grant you prosperity in the latter half of your life as well!”

If only we observe out lives keenly, there is plenty that God has specifically given us – there are so many things which are close to our hearts in this life for which we can only be grateful to the Lord.

Apart from this, there are of course a plethora of free gifts from God – from the refreshing cool breeze to the soothing moonlight to the glorious sunrise.

Our key for ensuring a life of perennial joy is to appreciate these bounties from God, treat them like God, and ensure that we make the best possible use of them.

Bhagavan Baba says, “Past is past, forget the past; Future is uncertain; Live in the present, for this present is truly omnipresent.”

This is because the tree of the future lies in the seed of the present, and the tree of the present is actually from the seed of the past. So, the most important thing is the present.

Let us make our present holy, let us sanctify it by sacrifice and love. That will ensure that our future is always a very pleasant present for us.

Illustrations: Rahul Raja, SSSU

- Story adapted from East And West, June 2009

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- Heart2Heart Team