by Dr Rahim Said
The story of the poor woman, the prankster, and the divine delivery of food is the kind of tale that leaves you smiling — and perhaps checking whether your own groceries were sent by more “unconventional” sources!
Here’s a woman, down on her luck, doing what many of us do in times of desperation: she turns to a higher power, trusting that somehow, help will come.
Enter the prankster, who, filled with the spirit of mischief (and perhaps a little too much free time), decides to play God’s role by sending her food — with a devilish twist.
The non-believer’s grand plan is, of course, to embarrass the poor woman. It’s a classic setup: he’s thinking, “This’ll show her! Let’s see how faithful she is when she finds out her blessings are from the ‘devil’.”
So, he sends his secretary, loaded with food, with strict instructions to announce that the goods are from none other than Satan himself.
But here’s where the plan goes off the rails. The woman, filled with gratitude, doesn’t even ask where the food came from!
When pressed by the puzzled secretary, her response is a gem: “When God orders, even the devil obeys.”
Boom! Moral lesson served with a side of humility. This woman teaches us all a thing or two about faith and perspective. First, she doesn’t care who’s delivering the blessing. The source? Irrelevant! She’s so confident in her belief that if help comes, it’s divinely orchestrated—no matter who’s holding the grocery bag.
This leaves the prankster’s plan not only foiled but backfired spectacularly. His attempt to undermine her faith only strengthens it. The devil himself, according to her, is a mere errand boy for God’s bigger plan. It’s a beautiful mix of humour and humility, reminding us that sometimes, even our enemies end up serving us without realising it.
So, what’s the lesson here? One, never underestimate the power of belief. When someone’s faith is unshakable, even a trickster’s best efforts become acts of service.
Two, generosity works in mysterious ways. You might think you’re setting someone up for a fall, but you may just be playing a part in their blessing.
And three, the next time food shows up at your door unannounced, don’t be so quick to question its origins. After all, you never know who’s working overtime to answer your prayers!
Dr. Rahim Said is a human behaviourist and regular contributor to digital media platforms. He is a professional management consultant, a corporate trainer and an executive coach specialising in coaching senior executives and individual entrepreneurs to modify their behaviour and pursue their cherished missions. (The views expressed by our columnist are entirely his own)
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