The 4 Wives
Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.
He loved the 4th wife the most and
adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave
her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and
was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one
day she would leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his
confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the
King
faced a problem, he could confide in her, and
she would help him get
through the difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great
contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love
the first wife. Although she loved him deeply,
he hardly took notice of her!!!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew
his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have
four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have
loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care
over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me
company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she
walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into
his heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I
have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me
company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going
to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have
always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die,
will you follow me and keep
me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out
this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to
your grave." Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was
devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with
you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and there was
his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and
neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care
of you when I had the chance!"
In truth,
we all have the 4 wives in our lives:
Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in
making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we
die, it will all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they
have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of
wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only
thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and
cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne
of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.
Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the
perfect position to pray.