Stuff: Investing In The Wrong Stuff

INVESTING IN THE WRONG STUFF

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I love to read. What a great blessing and responsibility reading is. I heard a Preacher boast he had read 10 books this month. That is good, I thought. I enquired how much of the Bible did he read that month? He said: Oh, I am too busy reading to read the Bible! I am reading some “good books.” Wow.

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Matthew 23:23 (MSG) "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required.

WRONG STUFF? EVER FORGET SOMETHING THAT YOU NEEDED TO REMEMBER?

There was an old lady that really loved life and one day her wonderful husband suddenly died. She was broken heart and was so lonely. One day see was reading an article about how special pets can be to bring happiness and joy to a home. So the widow lady went to the local pet shop and discussed her needs with the shop’s owner. He told her he had

Just what she needed. He had a baby bird that was so loving and the bird could talk. He told heard the bird would bring many hours of entertainment and company.

The widow lady was happy as she carried the big cage and the bird to her car. When the lady got home she cleaned out a corner near a huge picture window. The bird would jump and play, but it never said one word to her. So the lady went to town the next week and stopped by the pet shop and informed the man her bird had not spoken one word. The man could not believe it. So he asked her: DO YOU HAVE A MIRROR IN THE CAGE? The widow said: NO! So the man sold her a big, nice mirror to hang in the cage. In great excitement the lady hung the mirror in with the bird. She was amazed

how the bird would sit for hours and look in the mirror. But, the bird never said a word. The lady’s loneliness just increased. She had no one to talk.

The lady went to town the next week and she complained to the shop’s owner, that silly bird has not said one word to me and I purchased that dumb bird to talk. What is wrong? The owner asked the lady, do you have a swing for your bird to enjoy? The answer again was: NO! So the lady could not wait to get home and hang the swing, now the bird will be happy and talk with me? The bird would swing and look into the mirror, but it was total silence. The bird never sang or talked to its new owner.

Now it has been a month and the widow was very frustrated watching the bird swing and looking in the mirror but the bird still never said a word. So the lady in great anger walked into the pet shop and informed the shop’s owner that bird has not said one word in a month, I demand an answer. The man sold her a ladder. The bird needs a ladder to climb up and down, it will be so happy that the bird will start talking and never shut up. So the lady bought the ladder and placed it with the mirror, swing and sure enough the bird would climb the ladder and swing as it looked into the mirror.

The bird appeared to be getting weaker and slower. But still the bird never talked as the manger had promised.

Finally the bird just fell of the swing and died. The shop owner had sold her a mirror, a swing and a ladder and nothing had helped the poor talk-less bird.

The lady went into the pet shop and she was yelling: MY BIRD IS DEAD! MY BIRD DIED THIS MORNING. The shop owner tried to comfort the widow woman. Well, honey we tried everything… DID THE BIRD SAY ANYTHING

WHILE IT WAS DYING?

Well, yes the lady replied, the bird did say something: DON’T THEY SELL ANY BIRD FOOD DOWN THERE AT THE PET SHOP?

SEE, THE WIDOW LADY BOUGHT EVERYTHING THE BIRD NEEDED TO BE HAPPY, BUT SHE FORGOT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS TO MAKE THE BIRD TALK. She had not fed the bird anything. SHE HAD PURCHASED ALL THE WRONG STUFF. ARE WE INVESTING IN ALL THE WRONG STUFF?