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A Parable...
Once upon a time, there lived two women in a village. Both of these women were
married and had households, and both of them faced hardships and problems as
they raised their families. One day, as one of the women was struggling
and trying to make a decision, she remembered that she could go to the King and
ask for his help and advice. He had resources beyond measure, both in wealth,
and wisdom. So, she sought out the way to the King's palace, and when she
arrived, she threw herself at his feet and said "Oh mighty King, I am so weak
and lowly. I have need of your wisdom, for I have come upon problems which I can
not handle. I know
that you care about your subjects and have said we can approach you at any
time."
Upon hearing her words, the king sent the members of his royal court away, and
drew her beside him. "Tell me your problem," he said, "And I will try to help
you solve it." So, she told him of her problems and listened earnestly as he
gave her advice. With a glad heart, she left his palace and did as he said, and
found that many of her problems were solved. Upon seeing what was
happening to this lady, the other lady in the town asked her what she was doing
differently. When she heard what the king had recommended, she decided to try it
in her house also! So, she went home and tried to apply the king's wisdom to her
family situation. However,
things did not get any better, in fact, they even got worse! Her life seemed
even more unbearable. She returned to the home of the first lady, and told her
the results of following the king's advice. That is when the first woman
recommended that she go see the king also. So, the second lady went to see
the king. She also threw herself at his feet and asked for his advice. He gave
her his personal attention and advice for her situation. However, it was totally
different than that which he had
told the first woman. She walked away in astonishment, and wondered what to do.
As she approached her home, she decided that it would not hurt to apply the
king's advice, and she did so! To her utter amazement, it worked wonderfully and
changes were noticed by all around within just a short period of time.
Other villagers would walk by the homes of these two ladies and shake their
heads as they observed the changes in these households. Some of the other women
in town even visited the homes and asked for the secret that had caused the
changes. However, they found that when they returned to their own home and tried
to do as the king recommended, that nothing changed for the better. One
day, the king was riding through this town, and he stopped to talk to people. He
smiled to himself as he observed the two families that he had helped, and
wondered if anyone would ask him what he had done. Finally, one woman bowed low
before the king and asked permission to request an answer of him. When he
graciously allowed her to do so, she inquired as to why his advice to the two
women didn't help her in her situation. She had done everything that he
recommended, but nothing positive had happened. That is when the king
replied, "My woman - the advice I gave was tailored to meet the needs of each
woman and her house. What works for one, will not always work for all. I will be
glad to help anyone when they come to me personally..."
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