At the start of each new school year, I have a tradition of giving each student a small, ordinary pebble. I read them an adapted tale about an ambitious young traveler seeking his fortune. The traveler meets up with an elderly gentleman who admonishes the young man to gather as many pebbles as he can. The wise, old man ends with the prophecy, "You will be both sad and glad at the same moment" and hands the young man a small leather pouch.
As the young man begins his journey, he is frustrated and bothered by this seemingly foolish pursuit. The road is winding, the sun is hot, and the young man is tempted to give up. He is, however, intrigued by the words of the old man, "You will be both sad and glad at the same moment."
"The old man is a fool!" spouts the young man. "Why should I waste my time? How will a worthless pebble help me?"
Days pass and the young man stops under the shade of a giant oak tree. Sleep overtakes him; morning comes with the sun high in the sky and the smell of rain in the air. He instinctively reaches for his leather pouch, just to see how the pebbles are adding up. He must be mistaken! Someone must have played a cruel trick on him! For where there were once useless pebbles, there are now glistening diamonds! At once he hears those prophetic words ringing in his head, "You will be both sad and glad at the same moment!"
My message to my students is that knowledge is the pebble. It may be a bothersome thing having to remember assignments, write papers, study for tests, etc. These seemingly worthless pursuits will one day turn to into diamonds, causing both sadness and gladness at the same moment. For though you have gathered quite a few pebbles, you will also wish that you had gathered more.
At the end of the year I remind them of this story and the message of gathering "pebbles" and watching them turn into "diamonds." The students are surprised when I begin to pass out "diamonds" to everyone as a keepsake. (These plastic diamonds are used as favors at weddings, etc. and can be purchased at most craft stores.)
We also discuss how our problems and trials are like the pebbles and how God can turn our pebbles into diamonds, making us polished, strong, and wise.
