The Story of the Woodcutter and the Lesson of Gratitude

Have you ever looked at those who have even less than we do, even if what we have seems little to us? Life won't always bring only failures. With persistent effort, success will come soon. We often think that we are the only ones struggling in this world while everyone else is happy and problem-free. But the truth is, they might be facing even bigger problems than we are, and we just don't know it. Here’s a story I recently heard that illustrates this point well.

Once, there was a woodcutter who lived in a village. He earned his living by selling the wood he chopped each day. His daily earnings were just enough to buy food for his family. There was no extra money for anything else. One day, his already worn-out shoes completely fell apart. He tried to repair them but found they were beyond fixing. The shoes were full of thorns, making them unusable. So, he threw them away.

He continued chopping wood as usual, but without shoes, his feet were constantly pricked by thorns. Despite this, he carried on, hoping to earn enough money to buy new shoes. However, every day, the money he earned was just enough for his family's food. Days turned into months, and his feet became covered in wounds from the thorns.

Frustrated, he prayed to God, "I’m not asking for luxury, just enough income to buy a pair of shoes. Without shoes, I can't work properly, and if I miss a day of work, my children will go hungry." Angry and disheartened, he walked to the temple to voice his grievances to God.

When he reached the temple, he saw a man without legs sitting at the entrance, begging for alms. The woodcutter was stunned. He realized that while he was complaining about not having shoes, this man didn’t even have legs. This revelation hit him hard.

From that day on, he continued his work with a new perspective. The thorns that once caused him so much pain didn’t seem to bother him as much. He thought, "In a few days, I will overcome this hardship. Despite the pain, I will continue to work diligently."

This story taught me an important lesson. Friends, if we give up and sit in despair because of the difficulties we face, those difficulties will build a nest on our heads and take over our lives. Therefore, let’s keep moving forward and focus on what we need to do next.