Hello everyone
reading text to meditate on
A farmer, very dissatisfied with the work done by one of his servants, went to the fair to find a replacement.
There he met a young man, somewhat awkward, with a plain appearance.
- So, young man, the farmer said to him, what is your name?
- Mr. Jean.
- What do you do for a living?
- I work as a farmhand.
- What are your skills?
- With all due respect, sir, I know how to sleep when the wind blows at night.
- Pardon?
- Yes, I can sleep when the wind blows at night.
- Well, young man, replied the farmer, that is hardly an answer. Most of my people do that very well.
The farmer therefore continued his search, but found no one.
Several times, he relived Jean, and each time the latter gave him the same strange answer: I know how to sleep when the wind blows at night.
Late in the afternoon, the farmer made his decision.
Finding that Jean's eyes reflected honesty, he said to him: "You're certainly a strange one as a farmhand, but I'm hiring you. We'll see what you're capable of."
Jean worked for several weeks without anyone noticing his work. This is not surprising in itself, as well-done work often goes unnoticed.
It is only when something is not right that we pay attention to it.
Then one night, the wind began to drive enormous clouds before it. It gathered strength in the hills, swept through the forest with great noise, battered the buildings, and struck the haystacks, howling down the chimneys.
When the farmer heard the wind, he sat up in bed; he knew that wind well.
Several times before, it had torn off the doors of his stables, scattered his hay, and knocked over his chicken coops.
He called Jean, who was sleeping in the attic.
He howled louder than the wind, but no one answered him.
Finally, he strode over and shook him awake. "Jean! Jean! Get up!"
The storm will sweep everything away. There was nothing to be done; Jean was sleeping soundly.
He stepped out alone into the storm, already bracing for the worst.
Well, no, on the contrary;
He saw the stable doors firmly barricaded, the horses tied up and safe, the windows blocked, and the livestock lying quietly in the manger.
He also found the hay bales securely lashed down with tarps tied with thick ropes anchored to stakes driven deep into the ground. The pigsty was intact and the chicken coops were still in place despite the storm raging with fury.
Then he burst out laughing.
He had finally understood Jean's words.
The Master has given us enough counsel to enable us to enter into His rest. Therefore, blessed is the man who can say:
I learned to sleep when the wind blows at night.
Marylena