The well-dressed traveling salesman walked up to the dilapidated fence, stepped through the open gate, and paced swiftly toward the porch carrying a large brown suitcase. The old farmer sat in a rocking chair watching the young city slicker as he approached, the young man’s eyes darting side to side taking in the scene from what must have looked like a movie from the 50s. His well-polished wingtips slowed as he caught side of a dog sleeping beside the older man’s chair. Noting his hesitancy, the farmer spoke, “It’s okay, fella. Milly’s seen her better days. She don’t bite…at least, not no more.”
The young man smiled slightly, but his gaze stayed on the sleeping dog a little longer. He began his well-practiced spiel, “Sir, I have in my bag here some of the best household utensils known to man. They are carefully crafted right here in the good ol’ USA…” It was then that Milly let out a most pitiful groan, immediately putting an stop to the salesman’s speech.
The young man cleared his throat and restarted his pitch. He didn’t get through the first sentence before another low moan came from the old dog. The salesman tried to shake it off and proceed to regale the farmer with tales of the wonders found in his suitcase, but the awful sounds coming from the hound persisted. Finally, when it could take it no longer, he asked the old man, “Sir, what is wrong with your dog?”
“Oh, Milly there…well, when she came up on the porch and laid down this mornin’, she plopped down on a nail that was stickin’ up out of one of the boards.”
“Why doesn’t she get up?” the salesman asked.
“Well,” started the farmer. “I suppose it hurts enough to moan but not enough to move.”
Friends, is that where you are today? Do you spend your days moaning and groaning? Do you want things to change, but you are unwilling to do anything to make change happen? Does it hurt enough to moan but not enough to move?
It’s a beautiful Monday. It’s the perfect day to stop moaning and start moving.
Be Transformed 