Everything happens for the Good!
Once upon a time, there was an emperor in China. He had a minister
who had great faith in God and would always say that whatever
happens, happens for the good. The emperor never
believed this.
Once the emperor cut
his finger and as usual, the minister said that all happens for
good. Hearing this, the emperor got
quite angry and put the minister into prison. Even then the
minister said that everything happens for the
good!
A few days later, the emperor went
hunting in the jungle, by himself, since his minister was in
prison. As the emperor was
hunting, some tribesmen trapped him and took him to their
chieftain. But when the chieftain saw the cut on
the emperor's
finger, he ordered the emperor to
be released, saying that a person with a cut finger would not make
a good offering to the tribe's deity.
Happy, due to the narrow escape from death,
the emperor returned
to his kingdom remembering his wise minister's words that even the
finger getting cut was for the good. Upon his return, he
immediately ordered the minister's release and welcomed him back in
his position as the royal minister.
The emperor said
to the minister, "I now believe that everything happens for our
good, as my life was saved because of the cut finger. But, what
about you? How can you explain that it was good for
you?"
The minister replied, "As you had put me in prison, I was not able
to accompany you on your hunting trip. If I had been there with
you, the tribesmen would have taken me along with you and would
have definitely sacrificed me to their deity, as I do not have a
cut finger!" The emperor was
pleased with the minister's reply, and from then on, always
consulted the wise minister while making any decisions for his
subjects.
