A thirsty traveller trecking across the Nevada desert came across an old pump with a can wired to it containing a letter that said: “This pump is all right. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water. There’s enough water in it to prime the pump, but only if you don’t drink it first. Pour about one-fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You’ll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller. (signed) Desert Pete.”
It reminds me of Scot Peck’s advice about ‘deferred gratification’. There are times in life when we too have to choose between grabbing what’s immediately available, or using it to prime our spiritual pump, believing that that will provide far more.