提 要

當人人專注於自己的成就時，一不小心就會因此變得自私，忘了「施比受更有福」的簡單道理。其實對他人友善、慷慨付出或分享，比起只顧著自己、總要求別人配合足，反而能讓一個人更加快樂。

「成功」並非絕對，當自己想通、改變成功的定義，就不執著於那些其實不太重要的事。「成功」也可以是持續地成長進步，並時時督促自己，成為更善良，懂得付出、懂得愛的人。

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, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, 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 next morning, he found a ship docked at his side of 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 for 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."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

解 說

一艘船航行期間，在海上遭到暴風雨破壞沉沒，只有兩名船員能夠游到一個像沙漠般的小島上。

不知道該做什麼，這兩名倖存者一致認為，除了向上天祈禱，沒有其他辦法。然而，為了找出誰的祈禱更強而有力，他們同意在小島之間劃分範圍，並留在自己的那一側。

他們首先祈禱的是食物。第二天早上，第一個人在他的土地上看到一棵果樹，長滿夠他吃的果實；另一個人的土地則仍然荒蕪。

一周後，第一個人覺得孤單，他決定祈禱得到妻子。第二天，又有一艘船遭到暴風雨破壞，唯一的倖存者是一名游到他身邊的女人；而在島的另一邊，什麼也沒有發生。

不久後，第一個男人為房子、衣服、更多的食物祈禱。在第二天，像變魔術一樣，他所有願望都實現。然而，第二個人那邊仍然沒有任何東西。

最後，第一個人祈禱得到一艘船，以便他和妻子可以離開這個島嶼。隔天早上，他發現一艘船停靠在島邊。第一個男人於是帶著妻子一起登船，同時決定將第二個人留在島上。

他認為，另一個人不值得接受上天的祝福，因為他的禱告都沒有得到回應。

當船即將啟程時，第一個男人聽到天上傳來的聲音：「你為什麼要把你的同伴留在島上？」

「祝福是屬於我一個人的，因為我是祈禱的人。」第一個人回答：「他的祈禱都沒有得到答覆，所以他不配得到任何東西。」

「你錯了！」天上的聲音斥責他：「他的禱告只有一次。」「如果不是那樣的話，你就不會得到任何我的祝福。」

「告訴我。」第一個男人抬頭問天：「他祈禱了什麼，會讓我虧欠他？」

「他祈禱的內容是：『你所有的祈禱都能得到回應』。」天上的聲音回答。

該知道，我們得到祝福不僅是自己祈禱的成果，也來自其他為我們祈禱的人。