The Fool, the Wise, and the Treasure: An Inspirational Story by Pastor Tim BurtIn a small town near Sevierville, Tennessee, lived two buddies, Gator and Clyde. The locals called Gator, Crazytown Gator because of his impulsiveness and explosive temper and called Clyde, ClydeWise, because of his methodical approach to life and his composed and calm temperament. Clyde's personality more resembled the person of Proverbs 19:11(NIV): "A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense." Gator's personality more resembled the person of folly in Proverbs 14:29 (NIV): "Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly." People thought it was unusual that they could be great friends because they were as different as a horse and a mule!One fateful day, Blake, another local buddy, stopped by the table at the town's local diner where Clyde and Gator were eating breakfast. "Guys...", Blake barged in and blurted, "Have you heard the rumor? It's spreading like wildfire. Something about a treasure map somebody found in the forest not far from the caves." Both Gator and Clyde were intrigued. They had explored caves in the area before but never had any real expectation of finding any kind of treasure. Gator immediately wanted to jump in the truck and head to the area Blake had told them about. Clyde was interested though somewhat skeptical and hesitant. Even so, he was used to Gator's impulsiveness and agreed to go, thinking it would at least lead to an interesting expedition. But much to Gator's displeasure, Clyde slowed him down so they could finish their breakfast and then get the proper hiking clothes and equipment and get more information about what the treasure map revealed.
Two hours later, with Gator anxious about the lost time, they were on their way! As they ventured deep into the forest, tensions ran high between the two because Clyde was systematic in his approach, and Gator wanted to barge fast to who knows where to find the rumored treasure before anyone else. Gator, fueled by his impatience and gleeful thoughts of being rich, grew increasingly agitated with every step, while Clyde remained calm and collected, carefully studying the map and navigating the dense undergrowth with caution.Suddenly, they stumbled upon a hidden cave entrance concealed behind a thick curtain of vines. Gator, unable to contain his excitement, charged ahead recklessly, determined to claim the treasure for himself. But as he rushed into the cave, he triggered the collapse of the entrance, trapping him inside.Clyde, witnessing the calamity unfold, could have just shaken his head and been upset as this wasn't the first mess Gator had gotten himself into, but instead, took a deep breath and sprang into action, using his wit and resourcefulness to devise a plan to rescue Gator.With careful precision and a steady hand, Clyde worked tirelessly to clear the rubble and create a path to safety. Six hours had passed, the sun was going down, he was almost out of water and it was beginning to feel like he would not succeed. But suddenly, he could see Gator and finally managed to free him from his rocky prison.As Gator emerged from the cave, battered but alive, Gator looked at Clyde with a newfound respect and admiration. He had plenty of time to realize the true folly of his hot-tempered ways and the invaluable strength of Clyde's calm demeanor in the face of adversity. "Clyde...," said Gator, "Do remember what Pastor preached on last week?" "He preached on Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NIV): The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride." "You could have left me in there. You were trying to slow me down the entire time so that this kind of thing wouldn't happen. Yet you worked for hours to rescue me and get me out of here and didn't say a word about what an idiot I am. Well, the end of this matter is better than the beginning. I don't care about some stupid treasure. My friendship with you is the greatest treasure I have besides Jesus. And I am going to start acting more like Him! I love you pal! Let's get out of here!"And so, with the treasure map forgotten and Gator's greedy, impulsive desires buried beneath the cave's rubble, Clyde and Gator's unusual and unlikely alliance grew even deeper, not because of gold and treasures but by the mutual understanding that wisdom triumphs over folly and that a calm demeanor can be the greatest treasure of all!
Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NIV) "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
In His love,Pastor Tim Burt
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