This story came to me through James Martin, The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything. He got it from the Jesuit writer Anthony De Mello, who got it from India–where much spiritual writing originated.
The samnyasi (wise man) had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, “The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone>’
“What stone?” the samnyasi asked.
“Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream,” said the villager, “and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk I should find a samnyasi who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever.”
The samnyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. “He probably meant this one,” he said, as he handed the stone to the villager. “I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it.”
The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond, probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person’s head.
He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed about in bed, unable to sleep. Next day at the crack of dawn he woke the samnyasi and said, “Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily.”
Are we controlled by our possessions? What is holding us down?
Jesus talked about our inability to serve two masters: God or our money (stuff).
Let us do a check in with our soul and our possessions. What weight holds us back from trusting God?
Faith Venture 
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