Photo was taken near Shanagarry over the weekend, Co.Cork (Irl)

This field of barley is ready, ripe and waiting to be harvested. Recent sunny weather has meant the harvest is in full swing.

Thought on Tuesday – August – 17/08/2010

‘There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.’ ~Edith Wharton

There is a story about a man who was abroad on work commitments in France. He bought a rock that intrigued him. It looked ordinary but the shopkeeper showed him how each of the cracks in the rock would shine with different coloured lights in the dark. The businessman bought it for his wife as a symbol of their love and packed it away in his suitcase. On returning home some weeks later he asked his wife to turn out the lights, took out the rock and gave it to his wife. But nothing happened. The man was upset, “I’ve been cheated and I paid a lot of money for this.” He explained to his wife that he had bought the rock as a symbol of his love for her and that each crack on the rock was supposed to glow with a different coloured light in the dark. She graciously accepted the rock, put it back in its box and kissed him lovingly. Next day she took the box to her neighbour to translate the French words on the side of the box. “It’s a simple instruction”, said the neighbour, “If you want me to shine in the dark, expose me to the sunlight.” Because he had kept the rock in his suitcase it couldn’t shine. The rock can be symbolic of many things in our lives. Spiritually it means we remain in the dark until we turn towards God, the greatest source of light and energy in our world.