The Fork, Spoon, and Knife Story

I attended a webinar with Mfon Ekpo in which she shared a story on finding purpose, so simple that I want to share… I added my own spice, … enjoy and don’t forget to tell me what you think.

Once upon a time, the spoon and fork were having a discussion one day when the knife came to meet them and joined in; while talking the knife said,

“I envy you both, spoon and fork because both of you know what you were made for, you know your purpose unlike me.”

“Don’t be sad,” they answered and then asked. “Have you prayed and fasted?”

“Yes, I have done everything, still nothing… I am tired, I just wish I knew.
Don’t worry, that was how we struggled till we knew ours.” they both consoled it. Knife stood up, “I will be back, let me go and cut meat.” Knife said as it hurried to where it was cutting meat; when it was through, it came back to meet fork and knife. “Ehen, as I was saying, please if you know anyone or anywhere I can go to help me find my purpose, I won’t mind, cos I am really frustrated.”

“Okay no problem,” spoon said. Then fork asked, “knife can you help me cut this fruit?”

“Of course,” Knife said as it collects the fruit and sliced it down for fork to pick up. “Though there is a purpose class I hears is coming up soon, maybe you can find help there.” Fork informed knife. “I have done it all but let me just try and see,” Knife replied.

The knife attends the class and during the class, the organizer says, like you knife, who gets blunt. Then the knife says, “Am I the only one who gets blunt, everybody needs sharpening right?” The spoon and the fork said, “What do we need sharpening for?” The knife shocked said, “Are you serious? I cannot do without being sharpened; in fact, I am useless without it. Fork and knife didn’t understand what that meant.

During the course of the class, the knife was asked so what can you do? “Nothing important,” he said, I just sit at home and cut like everyone else.” The knife felt ashamed for being so useless.

The course organizer looked at the whole class and asked, “Does anyone here have the same answer as the knife?” everyone shook their head; knife had never felt so embarrassed in its life. Spoon spoke up and said, “I can only cut some soft things,” while the rest said, we don’t know how to cut, Knife does all our cutting for us.” The knife was shocked, “are you saying no one knows how to cut here, that simple thing?” “Simple for you, not for us; None of us can cut, you are the one we always meet for that purpose.”
That was how the knife realized what has been in front of it all this while…its purpose was cutting things.

The knife went back home and when next it was asked to cut something, it said, “I will do it for free this time, but I now charge for cutting.”
The others started laughing, “imagine o, everyone is talking, even this one too wants to talk, ordinary cutting that you will just cut, you want to charge for it?” and Knife answered, “Yes, I will charge for it, if you can’t pay, go and cut it by yourself.” “Okay o,” they answered and left.

That was how Knife packaged and started advertising itself… do you find it hard to cut things? Do you sometimes need your things cut in different shapes and sizes? Then call me today, I am knife and I cut.

Most of us think Purpose is an exotic thing we need to find, but most times, there are things we do daily in most of our activities; because it comes so easily to us, we think that’s how simple it is for everyone and we don’t pay attention to it or consider it as important.

It can be something as simple as loving neat spaces, in fact, you cannot function in a scattered environment and people call arrangee the arranger but you don’t understand how anybody can be comfortable in such scattered space… that is a clue to your purpose.

Mfon said, sometimes God gives us ideas but we brush it aside. Maybe you are using something and it’s frustrating you the way it’s working. Then, out of frustration, you think why can’t this thing be made in such a way to make things easier, but instead of seeing your opportunity in it, you just brush it aside as not important or everyone else is probably thinking of it or planning to do it. With that, you throw your divine idea away.

What comes to you easily…?

What idea have you brushed aside because it felt too big, silly, or not important?

Are you knife… is Knife you?

Let’s get thinking…