091 Rain We Didn't Earn
Hey Field, nobody came to tend you this year, and still the rain fell on you exactly as it fell on the field next door.
What have we received without ever earning it?
What have you received without ever earning it?
Two fields side by side. One farmer worked hard on his. The other field was left untended this year.
The clouds come. The rain falls on both, exactly the same.
What really happens
Rain does not choose. It falls on every field under the cloud, tended or not.
Much of what keeps us alive, air, rain, sunlight, arrives this way: given to everyone, earned by no one.
How we know: This is simple observation, needing no special study.
The turn
We are proud of what we earned. We forget how much we were simply given.
Gratitude begins when we notice the rain.
Three takeaways
- Much of what you have, you did not earn.
- Notice the gifts that fall on everyone.
- Gratitude keeps pride in its place.
The rain fell on us both.
Assistance given by those who ne'er received our aid, / Is debt by gift of heaven and earth but poorly paid.