From Mom's Collection -

What If It Were Today?

A traveler chanced upon a beautiful villa situated on the shores of a beautiful lake in Switzerland far from the beaten track of tourists. The traveler knocked at the garden gate and an aged gardener undid its heavy fastenings and bade him enter. The aged man seemed glad to see him and showed him around the wonderful garden.

"How long have you been here?" the traveler asked.

"Twenty-four years."

"And how often has your master been here meanwhile?"

"Four times."

"When was he last here?"

"Twelve years ago."

"He writes often?"

"Never once."

"From whom do you receive your pay?"

"His agent in Mailand." [Milan?]

"But he comes here often?"

"He has never been here."

"Who does come, then?"

"I am almost always alone -- it is very seldom that even a stranger comes."

"Yet you have the garden in such perfect order, everything flourishing, as if you were expecting your master's coming tomorrow!"

"As if he were coming today, sir, today!" exclaimed the old man.

- Source unknown

Luke 12:35-40 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Graphics and photos by Mary Stephens.
Posted Nov. 2018. CA.