What's your favorite parable (life lesson story)?

SSG Pete Fleming — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 12:59:00 -0400

Parables were often used to teach life lessons and when observed they would help you learn how to survive or how to handle life's ups and downs, etc. They can come from the wisdom of past generations, ancient philosophers, books, films, or even music (songs)... Basically they just tell a moral or offer some advice to the listener, through an entertaining anecdote

My favorite is the one about the little bird who fell out of it's nest.

"There once was a little bird trying to sleep high in tree on cold winter night. But it just couldn't get comfortable and by moving around too much it fell out of the tree onto the snowy ground below. There it cried out for help (squawk! squawk!) Finally a cow came along and saw this poor little bird. So she did the only think she could, she raised her tail and released a large pile of manure on the little bird. Now the bird was very warm underneath it all but still wasn't happy. And so the little bird cried out for help (squawk! squawk!). Finally a coyote came by and saw this poor little bird so he reached with his paw and carefully pulled the bird out. Brushed the 'dirt' off and... swallowed the bird in one gulp!"

The moral of the story is 'not every who craps on you wants to hurt you and not everyone pulls you out is there to help'.

What is your favorite Parable?

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 13 at 2014 2:31 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 14:31:55 -0400

One of my favorite parables is in the Bible (along with many other parables), in Matthew 20:1-16. It's the parable of the vineyard workers, about the last being first and the first being last. A landowner hires workers early in the morning to work in his vineyard and agrees to pay them a set wage, then he hires other workers throughout the day, some as late as one hour before "quitting time" and agrees to pay those hired later in the day the same amount as the ones hired first. When it comes time to get paid, the ones hired first are angry that those hired last are being paid as much as them. The landowner says, "Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my business? Are you jealous because I’m generous?"

Then Jesus says, "So the last will be first, and the first last.”

This also reminds me of servant leadership, which is a different story. They say in the Army that you have to be a good follower to be a good leader. And Jesus said (and demonstrated) in the Bible that you have to be willing to serve to be a good leader.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+20%3A1-16&version=HCSB

Matthew 203A1-16 HCSB - - Bible Gateway

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Response by SPC Brian Aranda made Oct 13 at 2014 4:40 PM

SPC Brian Aranda — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 16:40:07 -0400

SSG Pete Fleming , the way I first heard that one went like this...

There once was a little bird who decided to fly south for the winter. Unlike most birds, he waited too long and ended up shivering in a tree bare of all leaves. He shivered so much, that he fell to the snow and started chirping for help. After a short while, a cow came along and dropped a huge pile of crap on the little bird. The little bird thought to himself "GREAT! I'm late, cold and covered in crap!". He sat there in the pile just lamenting his life when he realized he was no longer cold and he thought "HEY! this actually feels kinda nice! I can hardly notice the smell, and it's pretty comfortable too!". Our friend the little bird was so happy with his current situation that he couldn't resist singing, just about then, a hungry coyote walked up and had a quick meal of manure marinated birdy.

The moral of this story? "If you are warm and happy in a pile of crap, keep your mouth shut!".

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Oct 13 at 2014 6:26 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 18:26:53 -0400

"The Giving Tree"

Response by SGT Richard H. made Oct 13 at 2014 6:47 PM

SGT Richard H. — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 18:47:45 -0400

I think this one qualifies as a Parable...at any rate, it's a story with a good moral:

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside each of us," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 14 at 2014 3:53 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 15:53:39 -0400

Two stories seem to explain most of life to me: The Emperor's New Suit of Clothes and B'rer Rabbit and the Tar Baby. Yep, the first explains everything from Star Bucks Coffee (bad beans, burnt and sold at ridiculous prices) to most celebrities (have you seen the complementary photos of Gwyneth Paltrow circulating on the Internet).

Many may not be familiar with the second, so allow me to summarize. The fox captures the rabbit by constructing a "person" out of tar, dressing it, and setting it on a log by the trail that the rabbit frequents. The rabbit becomes upset when the tar baby fails to respond to simple pleasantries such as a "Good morning," going so far as to punch the tar baby and becoming stuck. The harder the rabbit fights, the faster he becomes stuck. There's a life lesson in that story...