"If you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be assured of one thing; he didn't get there by himself."
-anonymous
A man injured on the job filed an insurance claim. The insurance company requested more information, so the man wrote the insurance company the following letter of explanation:
Dear Sirs:
I am writing in response to your request concerning clarification of the information I supplied in block #11 on the insurance form, which asked for the cause of the injury. I answered, “Trying to do the job alone.” I trust that the following explanation will be sufficient.
I am a bricklayer by trade. On the date of the injury, I was working alone, laying brick around the top of a three-story building. When I finished the job, I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to put them into a barrel, and pushed it over the side. I then went back down to the ground and untied the rope, holding it securely to insure the slow descent of the barrel. As you will note in block #6 of the insurance form, I weigh 145 pounds. At the shock of being jerked off the ground so swiftly by the five hundred pounds of bricks in the barrel, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope.
Between the second and third floors I met the barrel. This accounts for the bruises and lacerations on my upper body. Fortunately, I retained enough presence of mind to maintain my tight hold on the rope and proceeded rapidly up the side of the building, not stopping until my right hand was jammed in the pulley. This accounts for my broken thumb (see block #4). Despite the pain, I continued to hold tightly to the rope. Unfortunately, at approximately the same time, the barrel hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel now weighed about 50 pounds. I again refer you to block #6, where my weight is listed. As you might imagine, I began a rather swift descent down the side of the building
In the vicinity of the second floor, I met the barrel coming up. This explains the injury to my legs and lower body. Slowed only slightly, I continued my descent, landing on the pile of bricks. Fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, that at this point I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope so it came back down and broke my legs.
I trust that this answers your concern. Please note that I am finished trying to do the job alone.
Yours Truly.
If you see a turtle on top of a fence post you, can be assured of one thing; he didn’t get there by himself; somebody helped him. We’re the same. To fulfill our calling in life it will take a partnership with the one who created us. We must be reminded of how the unfortunate bricklayer began his letter; “I was working alone.” That was his first mistake.
God didn’t design us to work alone. He partnered with us from the very beginning. We disobeyed Him, but He didn’t abandon us. He provided us with a Savior, His only Son, Jesus Christ. Are you tired of trying to do the job alone? A victorious life requires that we abandon our veneer of self-sufficiency and accept from God what we can’t provide for ourselves. Are you ready to get some help with that mountain of bricks you’ve been trying to move by yourself? Reach out to Him. He’s only a prayer away.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
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