there is a tale of a certain prince of a certain kingdom. within this kingdom, there was a certain high official who was rather unpleasant. and this certain high official became such a nuisance that the prince needed to rid the kingdom of him. so, as any wise ruler would do, this prince decided to give this official an extravagant gift: a white elephant.
now within this kingdom, the white elephant was the most sacred of animals, requiring the highest quality of grooming and the finest of foods. it needed its own climate-controlled shelter and a score of personal attendants. only esteemed men were given the task of keeping a white elephant. at least that's what the high official first thought.
"how privileged i am to receive this gift! and from the prince no less! see how special i am," said the official, beaming with pride. but as the weeks wore on, the truth began to emerge. the man's life savings were being spent on keeping the white elephant content and he was quickly spiraling into debt. but he could not give it away or sell it for to do so would be to offend the prince and perhaps cost him his life. and so what was once appeared to be a blessing turned out to be a curse.
how many times do we chase after white elephants, thinking we're in for something good when in reality, they're only meant to destroy us. and how many times do we look at others' lives in envy, wishing we had a white elephant when we don't see what the implications would be for us if we did have one.
dear God, teach me to be wise. and teach me to be content.
~Matthew 5:5 [the Message]~
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