Overcoming Poverty
The Story of Two Eggs
Recently, an incident that occurred when I was nine years old came to mind. At that time, some guests were visiting my house, but we had no food to serve them. So my mother gave me some money and instructed me to make a quick trip down the mountain to buy two eggs from the village marketplace.
A round trip to and from the marketplace was about 6 km. I could quickly make it down the mountain, but coming back was a different story. Since I had to run with an egg in each hand, it slowed my progress. I could hear my mother’s voice in my head, instructing me to come home quickly, so I decided to put an egg in each of my pockets, freeing my hands so that I could sprint back home. I ran all the way back up the mountain, only slowing down as I neared my house.
Never did I expect...
As I stuck my hands into my pockets to retrieve the eggs, I felt something wet. With a sinking heart, I realized that the eggs had broken in the course of my rigorous sprint home. My face turned ghastly white and my heart raced.
What should I do? What have I done? Oh, why did I put the eggs in my pockets, knowing that they would break? Mother is still waiting to cook these eggs for our guests!
I considered running back to the marketplace to get two more eggs but stopped when I realized that I had no money left. What should I do? The more I thought about it, the more absurd my thoughts became. I even briefly contemplated running away from home! Although I was only a few minutes away from my house, I continued to wander around outside aimlessly for a long time. Even when the moon hung high in the sky, I still didn’t return home.
Eventually, my mother came out to look for me and found me in a nearby bush. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you come home after so long? I was so worried about you!”
“I’m sorry, mom. I broke the eggs…” I cried as I spoke.
“The eggs broke? How?”
“You told me to come back quickly, so I placed the eggs in my pockets so that I could run faster and return sooner. I only realized when I got back that the eggs had broken.”
“You were afraid to come home because of this?”
“Yes… I’m sorry, mom…”
“Don’t be silly. If the eggs broke, so be it. It isn’t that big of a deal. Besides, the guests have long gone. It’s late; let’s go home.”
That day, my mother held my hand the entire time as we walked back home. While holding her hand, all of my worries disappeared and warmth coursed through me.
Reflecting on the past
Thinking about it now, I realize that God will also hold our hand tightly through all circumstances.
Even as I think back to this incident years later, I laugh at my naivety—that I didn’t dare to go back home simply because of two broken eggs.
“Ah, just like how things that cause us so much worry when we are young eventually turn out to be such small matters after we have grown up, the Lord is telling me through the memory of this incident that the things I’m worrying about now will also feel like nothing when I look back upon them in the future.”
“Just as how I felt so at ease and without worries when my mother held onto my hand back then, I want the Lord Jesus to lead me while holding my hand. In this way, I will have nothing to worry about.”
Year after year, I continue to live with this attitude and hope to pass on this mentality, encouraging teenagers who currently fear the difficulties ahead of them.
Your difficulties are as ordinary as two eggs. There is nothing that the Lord cannot fix. So let the Lord hold your hand, and together with him, overcome all your difficulties with ease.
About Author
Shinki is that IT Gig, that go to person for computer related issues.
In his spare time he runs, cycles, and exercise with the trinity in mind.