CF Classic: Two Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes

Which God gave me to hold.

He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black,

And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded his words, and in the two boxes

Both my joys and sorrows I store

But though the gold became heavier each day

The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black,

I wanted to find out why,

And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,

Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,

"I wonder where my sorrows could be."

"My child, they're all here with me."

I asked, "God, why give me the boxes,

"Why the gold, and the black with the hole?"

"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,

The black is for you to let go."

Editor: this article first appeared in Cyberfellowship in Jan 1999 (contributed by Ben Lam, forwarded from JoeColin, Jer 33:3)