Chaplain Ronnie Melancon
By: Chaplain Ronnie Melancon
There is an old story of a king in Africa who had a close friend from his childhood. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking – “This is good!”
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and it blew off his thumb.
Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, “this is good!” To which the king replied, “No this is not good!” and proceeded to send the friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he knew to stay clear of. While hunting in that area, cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and tied him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.
As he returned home he was reminded of the event that took his thumb, and felt remorse for the treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right” he said, “it was good that my thumb was blown off.”
He proceeded to tell his friend of all that had happened. “I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this to you” said the king. “No,” his friend replied, “This is good.” “What do you mean, this is good? How could it be good that I sent you to jail for a year?” “If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you.”
It is hard sometimes to see God working Good from the trials of our lives. But like the story, the future is full of things that our today is preparing us for.
Scripture teaches us that those who Love and Serve Jesus Christ, ultimately good is the final result. If Christ is leading your life daily, know for sure that if He brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”
Lord Bless,
Chaplain Ronnie Melancon