The story is told of a preacher that was entertained on one occasion
at the home of a wealthy oil man in Texas. After dinner, the oil
baron took his guest up to the roof of his house and showed him huge
fields of oil derricks as far as the eye could see.
"Preacher,
that’s all mine. I came to this country, twenty-five years ago
penniless and now I own everything as far as you can see in that
direction."
Then he turned in the opposite direction where they faced fields of
grain; waving his arm from right to left he said, "It’s all mine
as far as you can see."
He then turned to the east and pointed to huge herds of cattle and
said again, "It’s all mine as far as you can see."
One final time he turned to the west and pointed to a great virgin
forest and said, "It’s all mine and today I own everything as far
as you can see."
He paused for the expected praise but to his surprise, it didn’t
come. The preacher laid a hand lovingly on his shoulder, pointed upward
and said, "How much do you own in THAT direction?"
The man
dropped his head in shame and said, "I never thought about
that."