Farmer Brown was enjoying a quiet rest in his home when he heard loud arguing outside. He went to his backyard and stood back a bit to listen. It was his sheep (I called him Shawn), cow (Cassie) and apple tree (Annie) debating who was the best.
Annie was bragging about her fruitful display of big red apples. Cassie was adamant that her milk was better than Annie's fruit. And Shawn was insisting that neither of them could produce a wool coat as lovely as his - surely he was the greatest of the three.
After silently observing for a while, Farmer Brown walked up to his apple tree, cow and sheep and kindly counselled them: "I've been listening to you each describe what you produce and, indeed, growing apples, milk and wool are all wonderful gifts, but I'd like to tell you something that's even better than producing apples, milk or wool."
Annie, Cassie and Shawn listened intently. Finally, Shawn asked, "What could be better than what each of us does so well?"
"The answer may surprise you but the truth is that giving away what you produce is really the secret of happiness, not keeping it for yourself."
There was a stunned silence that followed for a minute but finally Annie spoke up: "That's ridiculous! How could I be happier if I gave all my apples away? They're my apples - I made every one of them!"
Shawn and Cassie agreed.
So Farmer Brown left it at that. As he walked away, he smiled and said, "You'll see."
It was very early the next morning that Farmer Brown was awakened by loud mooing. Of course he knew what was happening - Cassie the cow was in the barn crying loudly because her udder was bursting full of milk.
"What's wrong?" Farmer Brown asked Cassie.
"My udder is so full of milk, it's hurting me! Please take my milk and give it to the children!"
With a grin on his face, the old farmer milked his very relieved cow. "Now I understand," sighed Cassie. "You're right, it does feel better to give something away then to keep it for myself."
When Shawn and Annie heard what had happened to Cassie, they just shook their heads. They still didn't get it.
It was only a short time later, in late August, that Farmer Brown was again awakened by loud sobbing. Outside, he found Annie very upset - and rightfully so. "All my apples are falling to the ground. They're getting bruised and worms are eating holes in them!"
"So what do you think I should do Annie?"
"Please pick my apples before I lose them all and give them to the children!"
You've no doubt guessed the rest of the story, and understand a little bit better the point of my children's lesson.
It was in the early spring that Shawn finally caught on. Farmer Brown found him bleating loudly one rainy spring day. It was both funny and pathetic to see poor Shawn. He was upside down, caught in a hollow in the field - four little feet were flaying in the air but the sheep could not turn his overweight body upright because his wool was thick and heavy with rainwater.
"Please, Farmer Brown, will you sheer my wool, so it can be made into coats for the children?"
At last, all three understood that it's more blessed to give than to receive.
Barry Buzza (www.barrybuzza.com and http://barrybuzza.blogspot.com) is senior pastor at Northside church in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.
