The Reward

A little story that I found in my files. It's a true story, about a friend of mine (the sunday school teacher). I hope you learn something from it; I did.

A sunday school teacher of a high school class started the class by telling her students, "now guys, here's the deal. I want you this class to raise your hand before you say anything, at all. However, if you don't, you get a skittle, and if you're really bad and talk out of turn, you'll get two." The kids were slightly confused by this, but agreed.

Throughout the course of the class, most students tried to obey and raise their hands, but many became impatient at one point or another, and for this they got a skittle. Some sat and said nothing, neither raising their hands nor saying anything.

By the end of the class, but one student remained who had obeyed the entire class. To this student the teacher handed a rather large chocolate bar.

"This is the reward that you didn't see at the end of the path." She explained. "Those of you who gave into the temptation for instant gratification of the little skittles were giving up a much more satisfying experience at the end. Had you only been patient, and obeyed, you too would have gotten a candy bar."