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經文：「耶和華在天上立定寶座，祂的國統管萬有。」（詩103:19） 在一個初春的早晨我預備外出，剛開門就有一陣凜冽的冷風刮起灰沙向我撲來。我急躁地埋怨道：「巴不得這風…」，本想說「不再有」，可是這三個字在喉間卡住說不出口。外出途中，剛剛的事仍在我的思緒中打轉，逐漸竟編織成了一段想像： 有位天使突然出現，手中還握著一把鑰匙說：「我的主人吩咐我把這把鑰匙交給你。」於是我甚感驚奇地問：「這是甚麼？」天使回答說「這是掌管風的鑰匙。」說罷便不見了。此刻我感到非常的快樂與得意；因為以後就可以隨自己的心意對付那令人不快的風了。 於是我急忙跑到山上風的庫房前面，把東風、西風、北風的門都關好用鑰匙鎖上，再把南風開得更順暢些。然後就滿意地說：「世上再沒有凜冽無情的冷風欺人了。從此百木月月開花季季結果，從歲首到年終都將是溫暖可愛的氣候…」言尚未畢，一股熱氣從門裡衝出來，把我的手灼得疼痛不已。 地上的青草一瞬間就都轉黃，我的得意之作竟摧殘了地上的萬物。我著急地喊道：「我闖了多大的禍啊！完全沒有想到萬物的需要，真的是太過愚蠢！」我感到既悵惘又羞愧，就求主再差祂的天使來把鑰匙拿回去，並同時承諾自己以後絕不再敢掌管風的鑰匙。 看呀！是主親自站在我的身邊。祂伸出釘痕的手將鑰匙接過，重新把其餘三扇風的門打開。於是空氣中混入許多冷風，氣溫也頓時恢復涼爽。這時我就在想：自己算什麼，竟敢埋怨主的安排？又看見祂把鑰匙掛在腰間，我就問：「主阿，這風的鑰匙是祢管理的麼？」祂回道：「是的，我的孩子。」 看哪！我又見生活中的所有鑰匙都掛在主那裡。祂看見我臉上的驚奇就說：「我的孩子，你豈不知我統管萬有麼？」我就回答：「主阿，既然是祢滿有慈愛的釘痕的手掌管那些鑰匙；從此以後我無論遭遇平安或患難、喜樂或憂愁、順境或逆境，就不再埋怨；只需要信靠、安息、讚美。」--皮爾斯 Mark Guy Pearse 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all" (Ps. 103:19). Some time since, in the early spring, I was going out at my door when round the corner came a blast of east wind--defiant and pitiless, fierce and withering--sending a cloud of dust before it. I was just taking the latchkey from the door as I said, half impatiently, "I wish the wind would"--I was going to say change; but the word was checked, and the sentence was never finished. As I went on my way, the incident became a parable to me. There came an angel holding out a key; and he said: "My Master sends thee His love, and bids me give you this." "What is it?" I asked, wondering. "The key of the winds," said the angel, and disappeared. Now indeed should I be happy. I hurried away up into the heights whence the winds came, and stood amongst the caves. "I will have done with the east wind at any rate--and that shall plague us no more," I cried; and calling in that friendless wind, I closed the door, and heard the echoes ringing in the hollow places. I turned the key triumphantly. "There," I said, now we have done with that." "What shall I choose in its place?" I asked myself, looking about me. "The south wind is pleasant"; and I thought of the lambs, and the young life on every hand, and the flowers that had begun to deck the hedgerows. But as I set the key within the door, it began to burn my hand. "What am I doing?" I cried; "who knows what mischief I may bring about? How do I know what the fields want! Ten thousand things of ill may come of this foolish wish of mine." Bewildered and ashamed, I looked up and prayed that the Lord would send His angel yet again to take the key; and for my part I promised that I would never want to have it any more. But lo, the Lord Himself stood by me. He reached His hand to take the key; and as I laid it down, I saw that it rested against the sacred wound-print. It hurt me indeed that I could ever have murmured against anything wrought by Him who bare such sacred tokens of His love. Then He took the key and hung it on His girdle. "Dost THOU keep the key of the winds?" I asked. "I do, my child," He answered graciously. And lo, I looked again and there hung all the keys of all my life. He saw my look of amazement, and asked, "Didst thou not know, my child, that my kingdom ruleth over all?" "Over all, my Lord!" I answered; "then it is not safe for me to murmur at anything?" Then did He lay His hand upon me tenderly. "My child," He said, "thy only safety is, in everything, to love and trust and praise." --Mark Guy Pearse ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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