Waiting for Roast Duck

“Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.” - Confucius BC 551-479, Chinese Ethical Teacher, Philosopher

Think of it… a guy standing on a hill with his mouth open… will not eat duck that night… let alone roast duck. The brilliance of that simple Confucius saying is too good.

Ducks generally are swimming on the pond – below the hill. In order to have roast duck that night you must do something.

Sad to say I have met a few people that are still waiting on top of the hill for a duck to come along – and drop in.

One fellow I met has a high ambition – to just be able to buy his smokes each week… or to bum a cigarette from the other guys near by. This particular guy sits outside the hospital and smokes his life away. Dumb I would say… just plain DUMB. It is cold and you(he) sits in his Pyjamas and smokes – all the time. Dumb REAL DUMB!

Another gal I met has a high ambition to get some help for her family. Her smokes have cost her a huge amount each week and she has no food for her kids. Her TV Cable costs a bundle each month – the kids need it… and her new Internet Connection is expensive as well. She is on MSN and Facebook all the time – but can’t afford food.

She and others like her will begin the “Good Old Christmas Call For Help We Are Now Broke” calls this week. At the church we usually get about three per week. Oh Boy…

It is not as if I do not have vices… I do. But the difference is – getting up and doing something about it. I try… everyday.

I think that my example will be the best. My grandson asked me, “Grandpa, where did you learn how to do all the stuff that you do?” My answer was – “I don’t know – I just do it.”

I think it started happening when something broke. There was no one to fix it and I didn’t have any money to buy another.

So it is at that point that I got off the hill and started looking for ducks – then estimated how long it takes to roast a duck for the supper that night.

My dad used to say – “Murray, you’ll get out of it what you put into it…”

So today… is another start all over day. I need to complete two more things that needed to be done this week… then three more things that are “today tasks” – my “TT List”.

There will be Roast Duck tonight… or ham… or baloney…

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~