Posted by Terry S. (24.24.79.45) on June 13, 2000 at 12:43:32:
MAKING CHOICES
Joseph Henry used to tell a rather strange story about his
childhood. His grandmother paid a cobbler to make him a pair of
shoes.
The man measured his feet and told Joseph that he could choose
between two styles: a rounded toe or a square toe. Little Joseph
couldn't decide. It seemed to be such a huge decision; after all,
they would become his only pair of shoes for a long time.
The cobbler allowed him to take a couple of days to make up his
mind. Day after day, Joseph went into the shop, sometimes three
or four times a day! Each time he looked over the cobbler's
shoes and tried to decide. The round-toed shoes were more
practical, but the square toes looked more fashionable. He
continued to procrastinate. He wanted to make up his mind, but he
just couldn't decide!
Finally, one day he went into the shop and the cobbler handed him
a parcel wrapped in brown paper. His new shoes! He raced home. He
tore off the wrapping and found a beautiful pair of leather
shoes -- one with a rounded toe and the other with a square toe!
Joseph learned a difficult lesson about decisions: if we don't
make them ourselves, others will make them for us. And wholeness
in life can only come about when we take full responsibility
for the choices we make.