We love supporting members of our Positively Positive community and their great causes. Over the next few months, we will be showcasing stories by Dr. Dragos as he embarks on a ninety-day writing marathon to raise $10,000 for water projects in developing countries Learn more here.
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The Soul Mechanic loved driving along the Pacific coast in Hawaii in his white convertible. One morning, as the sun woke up and rose from behind the ocean, we went for a drive together. The giant mango trees reached out to each other from the opposite sides of the road, their longing creating an ancient tunnel of life, leaves and pure green. The light shining through the canopy made puddles of sun on the pavement. We drove for almost an hour and then the Mechanic parked the car in front of a banana farm. He put his finger to his lips and shooshed me to be quiet. He looked around to see if anybody was on the farm.
“Go in and bring a bunch of bananas from one of the trees” he said and gave me a machete from behind his seat. “Make sure nobody sees you.”
“I am not going on the farm to steal bananas! What if somebody’s home?”
“Go” he said bluntly and a bit irritated.
I jumped out of the car without making a sound, and tip-toed through the farm until I found a bunch of ripened bananas hanging low from the tree. I looked left and right several times to make sure nobody saw me, and cut it down in one hit. I ran back with the bananas hanging in my hand. I could see the Soul Mechanic watching me as I was coming back to the car scanning the surroundings left and right.”
“Did you look up” he asked. “Did you look up before you stole the bananas?”
My heart sank in a puddle of fear.
“When you lied to your girlfriend, did you look up?” he asked again. “You made sure she found out nothing because you were ashamed of what you’ve done, but did you look up to God before doing it?
I stood there in silence, next to the car, with the bananas hanging in my hand, and staring at the ground.
“People will always tell you what they think you should or should not do.
But your life is only between you and God. – Dr. Dragos (Click to Tweet!)
If you have doubts whether what you’re doing is right or wrong, before you make any decision, look up and ask God. You will always know the answer.”
He put a few dollars in a box next to the gate with a note: “Mahalo (Thank You in Hawaiian) for the bananas, Michelle. See you next week! S.M.”
Dr. Dragos
DR. DRAGOS – Internationally renowned scientist and filmmaker, director of the award winning documentary film, THE AMAZING YOU, featuring NASA legends, Rock stars, New York Times bestselling authors and the Angry Birds. Dragos spoke at conferences on five continents and his work has been translated in sixteen languages. Check out his new book: Sleepers. You can follow him on FB.
Image courtesy of Diana Simumpande.