On his way to church, a scholar was surprised to see a man in
tattered clothes and barefoot. Nevertheless, as a good Christian, he
greeted the poor man: "May God give you a good morning!"
The poor man replied cheerfully, "I have never yet had a bad
morning."
"Then may God give you good luck!"
"I have never yet had bad luck."
"Well, may God give you happiness!"
"I have never yet been unhappy."
The scholar then asked the man, "Could you you please explain
yourself to me? I do not understand."
And the poor man replied, "With pleasure! You wish me a good
morning, yet I have never had a bad morning. For when I am hungry, I
praise God; when I feel cold, or when it is raining or snowing, I
praise God; and that is why I have never had a bad morning.
"You wish that God may give me luck. However, I have never had bad
luck. This is because I live with God and always feel what he does
for me is the best. Whatever God sends me, be it pleasant or
unpleasant, I accept with a grateful heart. That is why I have never
had bad luck.
"Finally, you wish that God should make me happy. But I have never
been unhappy. For all I desire is to follow God's will; I have
surrendered my will so totally to God's will that, whatever God
wants, that is what I also want.
"That is why I have never been unhappy.
