Finding and Losing and Pineapples
I think that, no matter your particular perspective on faith, this is a cool story, and worthy of consideration and such. Peace and pineapples, Clint
Otto Koning was a missionary in New Guinea. He worked among a native tribe that had known only their village ways. One of those village ways was stealing from others.
When Otto arrived and moved into a hut, the natives often came by to visit. He would notice that after the natives left the missionary's home, various household items had disappeared, and he would often see these items again when he went into the natives' village.
It goes that Otto had a small garden outside his hut. The only fruit he could grow on the island was pineapples. Otto loved pineapples, and he took much pride in the pineapples he was able to grow. However, whenever they finally began to ripen, the natives would always steal them. He could never keep a ripe pineapple for himself. This was a frustration, and he became angry with the natives. All during the seven-year period in which this took place, Otto continued to serve and preach to these natives, but he never had one native come to the faith.
Understandably, the more the natives stole, the angrier Otto became. He took a furlough to the United States and attended a conference on personal rights. At this conference, he discovered that he was frustrated over this situation because he had taken personal ownership of his pineapple garden. So, after much soul searching, he released his selfishness about his garden and ceremoniously gave it to God.
When Otto gave his garden to God, he no longer got angry and was free from worry. What was more interesting is that when the natives took fruit for themselves, they started bringing him fruit, as well.
The light came on one day when a native said to him, "You no longer get angry when we take what we need from the garden. You must have become a Christian, Otto. We always wondered if we would ever meet a Christian."
by Os Hillman, Nov. 24, 2006
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. - Matthew 10:39
Funny, huh? Anybody want a pineapple?
:)
Otto Koning was a missionary in New Guinea. He worked among a native tribe that had known only their village ways. One of those village ways was stealing from others.
When Otto arrived and moved into a hut, the natives often came by to visit. He would notice that after the natives left the missionary's home, various household items had disappeared, and he would often see these items again when he went into the natives' village.
It goes that Otto had a small garden outside his hut. The only fruit he could grow on the island was pineapples. Otto loved pineapples, and he took much pride in the pineapples he was able to grow. However, whenever they finally began to ripen, the natives would always steal them. He could never keep a ripe pineapple for himself. This was a frustration, and he became angry with the natives. All during the seven-year period in which this took place, Otto continued to serve and preach to these natives, but he never had one native come to the faith.
Understandably, the more the natives stole, the angrier Otto became. He took a furlough to the United States and attended a conference on personal rights. At this conference, he discovered that he was frustrated over this situation because he had taken personal ownership of his pineapple garden. So, after much soul searching, he released his selfishness about his garden and ceremoniously gave it to God.
When Otto gave his garden to God, he no longer got angry and was free from worry. What was more interesting is that when the natives took fruit for themselves, they started bringing him fruit, as well.
The light came on one day when a native said to him, "You no longer get angry when we take what we need from the garden. You must have become a Christian, Otto. We always wondered if we would ever meet a Christian."
by Os Hillman, Nov. 24, 2006
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. - Matthew 10:39
Funny, huh? Anybody want a pineapple?
:)
posted by just a guy at 6:23 AM
1 Comments:
Thanks for the perspective in this story. I am giving my pineapples to God, and it is rewarding what He is doing with them (my life). What is hard is when I get impatient and want to take back the control. He (God) knows the whole plan, and that is comforting.
PL
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