Was sent to me by my Dad. Just sharing.
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of
the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two
survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other
recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and
stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the
first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was
able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife.
The next day, there was a woman who swam to his side of the land.
On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could
leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side
of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven
booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,"
the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so
he does not deserve anything." "You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings." "Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers
alone, but those of another praying for us.
My prayer for you today is that all your prayers are answered. Be blessed. "What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself"
