The Priceless Stone

Once, a curious man went to seek wisdom from God and asked, "What's the value of life?" In response, God handed him a plain stone and instructed him to determine its worth without selling it.

The man embarked on a journey to decipher the stone's value. He first approached an orange seller who offered him 12 oranges in exchange. Politely declining, the man explained that he couldn't sell the stone as per God's instructions. Undeterred, he then visited a vegetable seller who proposed a sack of potatoes. Again, he refused. 

His quest led him to a jewelry shop where he was offered a substantial $100,000 for the stone. However, he remained steadfast in his refusal. The jeweler increased the offer to $150,000, but the man continued to resist, explaining his divine directive.

Finally, he visited a precious stone shop and presented the radiant stone to the seller. This seller, upon seeing the stone's brilliance, laid it gently on a crimson cloth, treating it with the utmost reverence. He told the man that he could never afford to purchase such a stone, even if he were to sell the entire world and even his own life.

Stunned by this response, the man returned to God and shared his experiences. He once again asked God, "What is the value of life?"

God replied, "The answers you received from the Orange Seller, the Vegetable Seller, the Jeweler, and the Precious Stone's Seller reveal the value of our lives. You may be a precious stone, even priceless, but how people perceive your worth depends on their knowledge, their faith in you, their intentions in dealing with you, their aspirations, and their willingness to take risks. But rest assured, you will eventually encounter someone who recognizes your true value."

The moral of the story is that in the eyes of God, every individual is unique and invaluable. We should respect ourselves and understand that no one can truly replace us. Our worth is not solely determined by external measures or material possessions but by the way we are perceived and appreciated by those who recognize our true essence.