The Pious Man

There once was a man who was very devout, was a regular church-goer and contributor to his local and spiritual community. He was retired and walking along the beach in Florida, when, as he had done many times, he prayed out loud speaking to the lord: "Lord, I have been a faithful servant and lived a pious life, I wonder if I might ask for one wish to be granted me in my later years."

To his utter surprise, a voice came to him from the heavens saying: "Yes, you have been one of my most faithful followers. And though I don't usually grant wishes as such, your request has touched me and I will grant you one wish.

The man stuttered and said: "Oh, thank you lord!" Then he made the following request:

"Lord, all of my life I have enjoyed vacationing in the Hawaiian Islands. However, I really dislike flying so I don't get to go there anymore. So, I would like you to build a causeway from where I live in Florida to Hawaii so I can drive there whenever I choose."

There was a brief silence. Then it was the Lord's turn to stutter: "Uh, well, I could certainly grant your wish. At the same time I wonder if you have considered the consequences of my creating such a highway. It would interfere with shipping lanes, international boundaries, ocean ecology, and so very many aspects of the world. I wonder if you might consider choosing a different wish which might have less of an impact on others and yet still be meaningful to you?"

The pious man could see the Lord's point. He gave it serious thought for a few minutes and came up with a different wish. He said: "Lord, as you know well, I have been married twice, and divorced twice. Both women were wonderful. However, I could never quite understand how to communicate with them and understand their needs and wants. Perhaps if you could teach me how to relate to women and get a clear understanding of how to relate to them successfully, that would have just as much impact for me as building the highway to Hawaii."

Without hesitation, the Lord asked: "You want two lanes or four lanes on the bridge?"