The Beggars' Plan

I am often susceptible to anxiety about the future -- mulling over potential retirement financial shortfalls, concerns about diminishing health in my later years, and so forth.  This is a failing of mine.  As Charles Spurgeon said, "Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength."

This little story taken from Aleksandr Avanasev's collection Russian Fairy Tales reminds me not to think overmuch about the future.

The Beggars' Plan

Two old beggars, husband and wife, were walking along a road and approached a village.  The old man said: "I will ask for some milk."  His wife answered: "And I will crumb some bread into the milk."  The man seized her and began to beat her, saying: "Don't crumb bread into the milk, it will get sour; don't crumb bread into the milk, it will get sour."  But when they came to the village no one gave them milk.