THE DARK CANDLE
A man had a
little daughter--an only and much beloved child. He lived only for her,
she was his life. So when she became ill and her illness resisted the efforts
of the best obtainable physicians, he became like a man possessed, moving
heaven and earth to bring about her restoration to health.
His best efforts
proved fruitless, however, and the child died. The father was totally
irreconcilable. He became a bitter recluse, shutting himself away from
his many friends, refusing every activity that might restore his poise and
bring him back to his normal self. He was filled with vengeance and would not
treat anybody kindly. He lost hope on humanity and refused to be
normal.
Then one night he
had a dream. He was in heaven and witnessing a grand pageant of all the
little child angels. They were marching in an apparently endless line past the
Great White Throne. Every white-robed, angelic tot carried a
candle. He noticed, however, that one child's candle was not lit.
Then he saw that the child with the dark candle was his own little girl.
Rushing towards her, while the pageant faltered, he seized her in his arms,
caressed her tenderly, and asked, "How is that your candle is the only one
not lit?" "Father, they often relight it, but your tears always
put it out again," she said.
Just then he
awoke from his dream. The lesson was crystal clear, and it's effects were
immediate. From that hour on he was no longer a recluse, but mingled freely and
cheerfully with his former friends and associates. No longer would his little
darling's candle be extinguished by his tears but rather he would light it by
caring for other children thus bringing a smile on her angelic face in heaven.
~ When we live for someone and love so unconditionally it becomes infinitely eternal, it has to breathe beyond any confines and it does not matter where we are but how we are! ~
