About 99% of all talks given in the Mormon Church contain the following story:
A man went to a fair where several young men had gathered to look for work. He interviewed the boys and asked them what their skills were. One young man said, “I can buck hay really well.” Another said, “I’m good with animals.” One boy said, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” The man didn’t know what to make of that answer, but it intrigued him. After talking to all the applicants, he decided to take the boy with the peculiar answer home with him.
They did all the chores around the farm and then went to bed. Later that night, a huge storm picked up and the farmer dashed around to secure all the doors and windows. The boy was still asleep, and the farmer was amazed that he could sleep with the wind howling around him.
Now, I’m just kidding – not all the talks given contain this story, but it sure feels like it. And I’ve always hated it, because it didn’t make sense and I thought it was dumb. However, the last time I heard it, the speaker actually gave it correctly, and I understood it. Here is the true and proper ending to the story:
The farmer dashed around to secure all the doors and windows, to find that they were already secure. The animals had enough hay and weren’t nervous. Everything was put to order, and the farmer went back to bed, able to relax. His new helper had never awakened at all, and the farmer finally understood what the boy meant when he said, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” He knew he had already taken care of everything, so there was no reason to get up and madly dash around to set things to rights – they already were right.
This rendition makes more sense, doesn’t it?
As we think about how this story applies to our lives today, we can see the correlation between it and our own personal preparedness. If the car breaks down, do we lose sleep over it, or do we rest easy, knowing that the emergency cash we’ve been counseled to save will cover it? When we lose our jobs and can’t go to the grocery store, are we uptight or do we know that we have plenty of food in our storage, and will be able to feed our children until the next check comes in? If we are prepared, we shall not fear. If we are prepared, we’ll be able to sleep when the wind blows.
And if the speaker in church elaborates, we’ll be able to understand the point of the story, too . . .
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10 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill
Food Storage . . . In a Trailer?
Church Callings: Emergency Preparedness Coordinator