Acres of Diamonds
There was a farmer in Africa who was happy and content. He was happy because he was content. He was content because he was happy. One day a wise man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along with them. The wise man said…
“If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had a diamond the size of your fist, you could probably own your own country.”
And then he went away. That night the farmer couldn’t sleep. He was unhappy and he was discontent. He was unhappy because he was discontent and discontent because he was unhappy.
The next morning he made arrangements to sell off his farm, took leave of his family and went in search of diamonds. He looked all over Africa and couldn’t find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn’t find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally, physically and financially broke. He got so disheartened that he threw himself into the Barcelona River and committed suicide.
Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made it sparkle like a rainbow. He thought it would look good on the mantle. He picked up the stone and put it in the living room.
That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked, “Is Hafiz back?” The new owner said, “No, why do you ask?” The wise man said, “Because that is a diamond. I recognize one when I see one.” The man said, no, that’s just a stone I picked up from the stream. Come, I’ll show you. There are many more.”
They went and picked some samples and sent them for analysis. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed covered with acres and acres of diamonds.
What is the moral of this story? There are five morals:
1. When our attitude is right, we realize that we are all walking on acres of diamonds. Opportunity is always under our feet. We don’t have to go anywhere. All we need to do is recognize it.
2. The grass on the other side always looks greener.
3. While we are envying the grass on the other side, there are others who are envying the grass on our side. They would be happy to trade places with us.
4. When people don’t know how to recognize opportunity, they complain of noise when it knocks.
5. The same opportunity never knocks twice. The next one may be better or worse, but it is never the same one.
Based on a story by Dr. Russell H. Conwell
Most people are looking for the same thing Lauren Elizabeth Kelley and I are looking for—someone who loves them, is committed to them and cares about them. We are looking for someone who is honest, devoted, caring and steadfast. We are looking for someone to share our lives with. We are looking for a partner that will be there for us in good times and bad.
The real difference is that Lauren Elizabeth Kelley already has someone like that—someone that has known her all of her life. . Someone that has seen her at her worst and loves her and thinks she is amazing anyways—me.
Lauren Elizabeth Kelley has someone who has always been there for her—me.
Lauren Elizabeth Kelley has someone that loves her and has been her friend and confidante for years—me.
Lauren Elizabeth Kelley has someone that has proven that they will stand by her because they have done it for years—me.
Lauren Elizabeth Kelley has someone who is honest, devoted to her beyond all reason, and cares about her—me.
Lauren Elizabeth Kelley has someone that is steadfast—even when she has been a horrible person—me.
I am the man she loves and who asked her to marry him and share his life. She knows that I keep my vows and commitments—she and her parents have seen the truth of that over the 30 years her family has known me. She has seen it herself.
Her heart knows it—Lauren Elizabeth Kelley is far too honest a person to tell me she loves me dozens of times in two different languages to not love me. Lauren Elizabeth Kelley would have never talked about all the things having to do with starting a life together if it wasn’t something she really wanted. Lauren Elizabeth Kelley would never have asked to see the ring I had bought for her if she didn’t want to accept it.
Lauren Elizabeth Kelley’s addictions know it—I am the only person they have pushed away since she fell to them seventeen months ago. The drug-addicted alcoholic is ashamed of the things she has done and said because of her addictions and doesn’t want me—the man she loves—to see what she has done—what her addictions have made her do.
I am probably the only person that Lauren Elizabeth Kelley loves enough to face her fears and fight her addictions—the only one who Lauren Elizabeth Kelley cares enough about to risk doing that for. Then again, I am the only one who cared enough about her to see what she had been doing to herself.
My birthday is in a little over a month’s time. I would ask that Lauren Elizabeth Kelley fight her addictions and give me a clear sign that the amazing woman I love is still there someplace—that she still exists and is fighting her addictions and trying to find her way home to me. This is the gift I want from Lauren Elizabeth Kelley—one only she can give me—to have her back in my life so we can start on the future we have talked about.
I do not know if Lauren Elizabeth Kelley is reading what I write still, but I know—despite the lies she has been telling—Lauren Elizabeth Kelley was reading every word I wrote and everything I posted on here on my blog, on Facebook and on Twitter as of last March. I hope Lauren Elizabeth Kelley is still there and still reading.
Lauren Elizabeth Kelley—
You are like the farmer—you have sold the farm—given up the happiness and contentment we had together and the future we were talking about—you are looking for what you already had—and like the farmer, you are committing suicide—by the slow death of your addictions to drugs and alcohol.
God Bless you Lauren Elizabeth.
May God watch over you and protect you from all harm—even that you cause yourself.
I hope God gives you the strength to fight your addictions and the wisdom to see the truth about what the alcohol and drugs are doing to you.
I pray that God grants you the serenity and peace you will need to love yourself once again and to forgive yourself for the things your addictions have made you do.
I ask that God helps you find your way back to being the amazing, beautiful, intelligent, feisty, stubborn, strong, and devout woman He wants you to be.
Finally, may He grant you the ability to see yourself as I do and let you remember who we are to each other; let you remember the years of friendship, love and devotion we once shared; and give you the strength to make amends so we can start the future together we talked about last June.
All this in Jesus’s name I pray.
Amen.