12 FEBRUARY

THE MAN IN THE MOON

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

(Philippians 2:3)

Mercy, my cousin told us numerous folklores when we were young. I remember whenever the full moon was up she would bring us outside to show us the shape of a man chopping wood in the moon.

Here is my adaptation of a similar myth by the Chinese:  The wood cutter, Okon, was an ambitious but conceited young man. He was good at whatever work he did but always desired to be better than everyone else. He went to the clouds where he met three men: Healer, Helper and Emmanuel. He asked for one thing after another that would make him have power and fame. ….

Angered with his pride, selfish ambition and competitive spirit, the Master banished him to the Moon Palace to cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Although Okon chops day and night, the magical tree restores itself with each blow, and thus, he is up there in the moon still chopping.

ACTION: Pay attention to this quote by Theodore Roosevelt: “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

PRAYER: Lord, grant me grace to be humble, even when aspiring to greatness.