Nails in a Fence

I don't know who wrote this, but I like it because of its message.


There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.

I feel that if control ourselves we will find more happiness in our lives.  God has given us the ability to choose for ourselves.  President Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints said that there are three "R"s of Choice.

1st.  The Right of Choice
2nd The Responsibility of Choice                                                               
3rd   The Results of Choice
See President Monson's talk on the "Three Rs of Choice."
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-three-rs-of-choice?lang=eng
We all have the right to choose, as Heavenly Father's children.  With this right we must be willing to accept the consequences, whether they be for good, or for bad.  The results will come, and much like this youngster we may not be able to fully change the results of our choices.