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The Dark Candle

A man had a little daughter, an only and much beloved child. He lived only for her, she was his life. So when she became ill and her illness resisted the efforts of the best obtainable physicians, he became like a man possessed, moving heaven and earth to bring about her restoration to health.

His best efforts proved fruitless, however, and the child died. The father was totally irreconcilable. He became a bitter recluse, shutting himself away from his many friends, refusing every activity that might restore his poise and bring him back to his normal self.

Then one night he had a dream. He was in heaven and witnessing a grand pageant of all the little child angels. They were marching in an apparently endless line past the Great White Throne. Every white-robed, angelic tot carried a candle. He noticed, however, that one child’s candle was not lit. Then he saw that the child with the dark candle was his own little girl. Rushing towards her, while the pageant faltered, he seized her in his arms, caressed her tenderly, and asked, “How is that your candle is the only one not lit?” “Father, they often relight it, but your tears always put it out again,” she said.

Just then he awoke from from his dream. The lesson was crystal clear, and it’s effects were immediate. From that hour on he was no longer a recluse, but mingled freely and cheerfully with his former friends and associates. No longer would his little darling’s candle be extinguished by his useless tears.

Author Unknown

{ 60 comments… add one }
  • Elizabeth September 17, 2021, 7:18 am

    I lost my brother 8 months ago due to covid. He was confined in the hospital all alone in his room as his children or anyone was not allowed to stay with him. After 3 days he died without anyone of us his siblings, children or wife accompanied him in his last moment. From his death bed he was brought directly to his tomb after a 30 minutes prayer service by a priest. We were 2 meters apart from his coffin. We didn’t see him as his coffin was sealed. It breaks my heart and keeps me crying whenever I think of him in his agony. When I surf the internet looking for motivational upliftment, I came across this story. It gave me moral support so I change my crying into prayer asking the Lord to let him rest in peace with Him. I Try to control my tears because it might turn off his candle light while worshipping and praising the Lord with all the angels and saints in heaven. I shared this story to friends ang groups and it is going around. IT CONSOLES. Thank you.

  • Melissa Soule February 4, 2020, 5:08 pm

    Dr. Phil mentioned this story today. I recently lost my adult son. I have been crying for 2 years. I understand now, that my son wants me to remember him in happier times, the good times we had together. I will try and do that. Thank you for your story.

  • Heipeubuing Iheilung November 24, 2019, 3:04 pm

    Very touching and inspiring.
    I love reading…..upload more

    • Awimai Niumai November 24, 2019, 3:08 pm

      I still love you

      • Jimmy January 8, 2022, 1:43 pm

        I lost my daugter 6 1/2 years ago i feel this story and dream is from my baby girl and i know this message was sent to me i read it every day i almost have it memorized

  • Lil nibba September 4, 2018, 11:39 am

    Good

  • Gary August 13, 2018, 6:23 am

    Very inspiring!

    In that situation, it’s good to think, would my loved one really want me to carry on the rest of my life miserable or to be happy?

  • Virbhayankar March 10, 2018, 2:34 am

    Very touching story

  • Maria favour March 7, 2018, 3:47 pm

    A touching short story hmmmm really motivating

  • Rosalie Ytang September 19, 2017, 11:18 pm

    One of all beautiful and touching story. thank you for sharing it with us

  • jyothi mannam June 18, 2017, 3:57 am

    A beautiful story tat really touched my heart….thank u soo much

  • Evan January 16, 2017, 5:47 am

    I am a Chinese. It is good for me to read this stories. Very much heart warming and thoughts touching. I would use them to share with my friends and teach her English. Thank you for sharing all in all.

  • Ashmita Roy December 24, 2016, 1:59 pm

    Wonderful, superb it help me a lot….

  • Big AL October 3, 2016, 5:11 pm

    What a wonderful story. Makes a change of heart about yourself. Don’t drag yourself down when you only have one life at the moment.

  • Peta Vili June 29, 2016, 10:45 pm

    Enjoyed reading every single story. Good for me

  • Sudhanshu June 24, 2016, 7:23 am

    Sir I have read your amazing stories and I must say that it really help to change my life a very motivational stories. Keep doing this always
    thank you sir

  • Manuel June 2, 2016, 3:54 am

    Very Nice and motivating those who are in depression

  • Alana May 3, 2016, 11:12 am

    I am a student of sfs and I am in seventh standard and motivation’s stories helped me a lot for my class assembies

  • PARAS October 3, 2015, 7:48 pm

    Wonderful story. I couldn’t help my tears rolling down. God bless you all.

  • Pirthiba September 30, 2015, 5:44 am

    Wonderful story…cool….

  • Duyen Ngoc July 19, 2015, 9:03 am

    I am Vietnamese.Through reading these stories, I can enrich my knowledge of English.Besides, these stories are so touching also.Thanks a lot!

  • Waduka Abdou. July 10, 2015, 8:21 am

    It is quite an inspiring story. I love it.

  • Alfred Ramc June 21, 2015, 6:40 am

    Nice one!

  • Alfred Ramc June 21, 2015, 6:38 am

    Lots of lessons! God bless you

  • Rita June 11, 2015, 11:33 am

    Hi steve thanks for such a heart warming story, it has been so long since I was on this site.
    I am happy to be back joining you all. God bless. And also to the father of this wonderful Angel

  • Uma Maheswar June 7, 2015, 12:36 pm

    I have no words, only tears.

  • Lukekyawhtoohlaing May 31, 2015, 7:26 am

    It is one of the motivated stories to me coz i am a teacher and i has the responsibility for my students to become good person for the sake of the people.

  • Rosily May 19, 2015, 12:10 pm

    Very fantastic story with inspiration. I am very much moved with the story.

  • Gururaja MA May 17, 2015, 12:22 pm

    Heart touching.

  • Sameer Sawant May 16, 2015, 6:55 am

    Really its a very beautiful story…

  • Infinite id May 10, 2015, 7:23 am

    Wonderful story, permit me to share some stories here and make it a blessing to my people in this part of the world.

  • Dr Jalaja May 9, 2015, 10:29 am

    I am a Principal working in a school. I keep telling them your beautiful stories to motivate them. Please post some teacher student stories.

  • Shathis May 9, 2015, 8:23 am

    Wow, it’s a touching story you posted there. I love it, gives inspiration… wow, thanks…

  • Esther May 8, 2015, 4:33 am

    Motivational story …. i missed them

  • Dr.bbalnarayana May 7, 2015, 1:26 pm

    This story is truly remarkable. It reminds his father that
    ‘’though his daughter’s soul is separated from her body,
    It still remains in his heart feeling his affection from the heaven.’’

  • Simon May 6, 2015, 10:18 am

    @goodwell…liked how you analyzed it. @ Stiv, thanks a millie…hop we’l see more stories soon, goodluck.

  • Sipra May 6, 2015, 4:45 am

    It’s a really motivating one….and also heart touching….

    I like all of your stories… want read more touching lines….because words have really magic power to touch heart..
    thank u for the story.

  • Kalumba Mwape Km May 5, 2015, 5:48 am

    Nice story, and touching one..

  • Asif Patel May 5, 2015, 2:29 am

    That’s a very nice n touching story… do add more coz I love your all the stories …really inspiring one…

  • Castro May 4, 2015, 10:59 am

    Quite deep and insightful. God rejoices when one of His come home. We must learn to live in Faith and Hope.

  • Prabhakar May 4, 2015, 10:00 am

    Truly motivating one..

  • Olusegun opeyemi May 4, 2015, 9:22 am

    It’s so sweet and lovely story, am so impressed.

  • LEVISON GOODWELL(Student) May 4, 2015, 9:13 am

    As a dream lover, iI see the story very interesting to me in the sense that, if we look at the tears, you didn’t mentioned about the tears of the man but he had them according to my understanding of the story. In this story I see man’s tears of SORROW, tears of JOY and tears of HOPE and all these has been summarized in the dream. Because when we look at the Candle, in it we find LIGHT and in light we find JOY and in joy we find HOPE. In short the dream wanted to ensure the man that her daughter is in the safe hands of God and him should continue living in joy and hope.

    A question to you and me is: How do I react when my hopes/dreams are not realized?

  • Prasurjya May 4, 2015, 8:54 am

    After a long time…got to read yet another sweet story…thanks

  • Leib ben Yitshak May 4, 2015, 8:33 am

    This was a very moving story to me. I can relate to this and thank God every day that this has not happened to me.
    Leib

  • Peter May 4, 2015, 6:45 am

    Lovely and so encouraging

  • Shamim Deshmukh May 4, 2015, 6:23 am

    Lovely motivating story..

  • Mindcrafters May 4, 2015, 6:15 am

    Quite thought provoking.

  • Yunis abayle May 4, 2015, 5:43 am

    Wow! Beautiful story. I loved it… there are two lessons I got from it…. the tender love for your children as parent and learn to be patient and not cry over spilled milk.

  • Sarah May 4, 2015, 4:48 am

    Wowwww.. Stephen, it’s been such a long time.. thanks for the story, i liked it.

  • Mapula May 4, 2015, 4:29 am

    It was inspiring…prolonged sadness puts angels off!

  • Joseph Muya May 4, 2015, 4:07 am

    It’s a real nice, nice story. It touched a lot my heart.

  • Noleen May 4, 2015, 3:37 am

    I love reading these stories, they really motivate me.

  • D k tyagi May 4, 2015, 3:36 am

    Wonderful and very educative thoughtful story good luck

  • Aviii May 4, 2015, 2:55 am

    This story enlights my life

  • Abhay Kumar Gupta May 4, 2015, 2:32 am

    Heart touching story. We are always safer and happier in almighty hands.

  • Anindita Banerjee May 4, 2015, 1:41 am

    Truly speechless!!!!!!!!!

  • Sudhir Matey May 4, 2015, 1:39 am

    A beautiful story

  • Valan May 4, 2015, 12:58 am

    Really it is a thought provoking

  • Bhawna May 3, 2015, 11:48 pm

    It’s a beautiful story. I love to read stories. After such a long time you posted one.

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