The Two Survivors
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and
only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small,
desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else
to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to
God.
However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they
agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on
opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed
for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a
fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able
to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained
barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to
pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and
the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the
land. On the other side of the island, the second man had
nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, and more
food. The next day like magic, all of these were given to
him. However, the second man still had nothing. Finally, the
first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could
leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at
his side on the island. The first man boarded the ship with
his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.
He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's
blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice
from heaven booming: "why are you leaving your companion on
the island?" "My blessings are mine alone, since I was the
one who prayed them," the first man answered. "His prayers
were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one
prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not
have received any of my blessings." "Tell me," the first man
asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him
anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances dictate.
Thanks to Daren Bullock http://www.youthpages.org