A Blessing in Disguise

P. Pilgrim
According to Chinese legend, in a remote village in ancient China, there lived a man named Sai Weng, who had a deep love for his prized horse. This horse was not only his means of transportation but also his source of livelihood. One day, to the shock and dismay of Sai Weng and his fellow villagers, the horse escaped from its stable and disappeared into the vast wilderness. After hearing of the misfortune, his neighbour felt sorry for him and came to comfort him. However, Sai was unconcerned. Sai said, ‘who knows if it may be a good thing for me?’ Surprisingly, after a few weeks the lost horse returned home with another beautiful horse. As the neighbour congratulated him Sai Weng said, ‘who knows if it may be a bad thing for me?’ One day, his son went out for a ride on the new horse. He was violently thrown from the horse and broke his leg. The neighbours once again expressed their condolences to Sāi Wēng, but Sāi Wēng simply said, “How could we know it is not a good thing for me?” One year later, the Emperor’s army arrived at the village to recruit all able-bodied men to fight in the war. As a result of his injury, Sāi Wēng’s son could not go off to war, and was spared from certain death.
The meaning behind the story of the Chinese proverb teaches that a difficulty can be a blessing in disguise and vice versa. This ancient wisdom has a close parallel with a verse in the old testament part of the Bible in Ecclesiastes chapter 6 verse 12 it says, ‘For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?’ The author observes indeed, none of us know what the future holds. An adversity might have positive benefits and prosperity might have ill effects.
Each day offers knew opportunities, joys, struggles and suffering. If you know Christ as your Saviour, then you are a child of God. So as beloved children of God we can rest in his sovereignty and trust him through the good and bad times alike. God has made the one as well as the other. In Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 verse 14 it states ‘In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.’ This teaches that the living God is with us in all the events in our lives and promises his loving care. So just like Sai Weng we need to ponder what is happening in our lives. We should not quickly jump to conclusions as the living God may have sent it for your good. Fortune and misfortune can be intertwined just like all life stories are intertwined, such is the mystery of life. Can you think of an example where a misfortune turned out to be a blessing? How can you keep your focus on God in good times as well as in bad? (pilgrimway101@yahoo.com)