As the sun began to shine a single fish found itself in what seemed to be a puddle. As it popped out its head to look around to see where the great waters were that he had lived the very day before, was shocked to see nothing but the puddle it was in and vast amounts of dry earth. The fish submerged back into his puddle and wondered 'How did I get here?'
About the same time the fish was contemplating its situation a man happened to wonder past the puddle and looked into it. The man was shocked to see a rather large fish. 'Now..' thought the man 'how did that get in there?' For all around the puddle was nothing but a great desert. The closest water that was capable of having fish was many miles away. As he stopped and stared at the fish, the fish itself forgot what he was thinking. Seeing a fly buzz close above his small bit of water, it jumped out and caught the fly for a small snack then splashed back into the waters it had found itself. This return with his meal emptied the water in the puddle it had found itself in.
The man seeing what happened knew exactly what to do. He scooped up the fish with his hands and placed it into the basket that held his food and continued on to his way to hear a man speak at a gathering a half days walk away.
It was late in the day when the man arrived and having walked all day to get there he was hungry. Remembering the fish in his bag, he sat down to listen to the man and began to cut the fish to eat.
While the man was cutting up his meal, a man next to him looked over to what he was doing. "I have been sitting here all day listening to this man and have had nothing to eat..." The man waited for a second and the man with the fish looked at him. "Do you think you could spare a bite for me?"
The man with the fish looked back down at his meal and then back to the man sitting nest to him " I will gladly give you a piece my friend but only if you promise not to tell anyone else where you got it from for I only have enough for two." His neighbor agreed and was given a portion of the fish.
The man who had just received the fish was about to place a piece of it into his mouth when his wife, sitting next to him, noticed what he was doing. "Where did you get that? she asked. The man, remembering the promise he had made to the other man thought a moment before he spoke. "Was it not you that said we must come here and listened to this great man speak? he paused.
"Yes." Said his wife.
"Then I must assume that you haven't been paying attention." another pause. He looked at his wife intently. "Did you not see the man and his disciples’ pass out fish and bread from great baskets to everyone here?" He waited for her response and saw the questioning look in the wrinkles of her brow.
The woman being confused and not wanting to admit that she did not see such a thing soon found her tongue and responded to her husband. "Of course I saw his people pass out the fish and loaves of bread. I was making sure you did not take more than your own share. The fish you eat now was not like the one I had received." The man's wife turned her attention once again to the man that they came to hear.
About then a man sitting next to the second man's wife looked over to see both of the men eating contently the fish the first man had brought. Tapping the second man's wife softly on her shoulder to get her attention he leaned into her ear and asked "Those two men beside you.., where did they get the fish? I am hungry and would like to have some myself."
The woman, still not wanting to admit that she did not see the food being passed out among the multitudes turned to the man with an expression of shock and dismay and replied "Did you not see...? Did you not see the miracle performed by this man?” Pointing to the man standing on top of a high hill above all others.
The man looked at the woman with a stunned expression. The woman waited for a moment before she continued. "He knew that all the people here were growing hungry and few if any had brought food with them. He called out into the crowd and asked those that did bring food to come forward and place it in the baskets in front of him." The man watched the woman as she spoke and felt ashamed that he had not paid attention to the man as fully as he should and listened even more intently to the woman.” Only there wasn't much to be gathered and only two of the baskets held anything. One with a few small fish and the other with even less bread." The woman looked up to the man that was speaking still to the great number of people around him in awe. "The man and his companions began to pass among all of us the food in the baskets. We all were fed. All of us. The baskets never went empty...it was nothing less than a miracle. Did you NOT see? The woman looked at the man with intensity.
"Of course I saw this!" guffed the man. "He asked for help with the passing of the food. I went up and helped them." The man paused for a moment and looked at the woman with distain "I was only making sure the men sitting next to you did not relieve someone else of their portion. Now excuse me. I want to listen to what the man is saying." Both the man and the woman turned their attention once more to the man with a great message. Each afraid to miss yet another miracle if it came.
The story, if one is familiar with it, can be found in the New Testament of the Bible. Although it goes in a different direction. The reality of common men wanting so bad to be a part of something does change history and blurs facts?(Ahem). As almost all stories there is a lesson to be learned even in this tale and with this case more than one. These are;
- Fish can not ponder their situation or life in general. If this was possible none would find their way to your dinner plate.
- When going to any type of social gathering and decide to bring something have enough for everyone(otherwise leave it someplace away from the crowd to enjoy later).
- Truth is perception. The desire to be a part of something great is in each one of us. Tell a lie long enough with conviction and soon that lie will become a truth.
- Every truth ever written has a portion of a lie.
Be well and take time to explore your mind.
