A man was on a ship which sank. He was alone on a dingy and drifted to a small island. Shortly after landing, he heard rustling in the forest and out came a large group of natives. They snatched him up and took him back to camp. All the way, he thought we was going to be dinner. As time passed they gave him all the best clothing and the best foods. They treated him like royalty.

After a short time, he had picked up on enough of their language to be able to communicate a little. He asked his “servant” who they though he was.

The servant said, “you are our king.”

The man asked, “what happened to your last king?”.

The servant replied, “every three years we get a new king, and the old king goes to that island over there”, as he pointed to a small deserted island.

The man asked, “What happens when they go over there?”

The servant replied, “They die within a few months because there is no food, shelter, or water on that island.”
For the next several years the man started going over to that deserted island. He was taking supplies and building a home, digging a well, stocking seeds and grains, and planting fruit trees. He spent his entire time as king, working as a servant. Because he knew the place he was at was not his permanent home.

Many times we get engrossed with the pleasures of this world. We forget that we are here only a short time, this is not our permanent home. We need not to care for the pleasures here but be servants to the most High King; preparing for our place of permanent stay.