Life's Challenges - Stories - Trials
Footprints
One night a man had a dream that he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets
of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, the other belonging to the
LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the
footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints, and that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in his life...
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. "LORD, you said
that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But during
the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I
don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you and I would never
leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set
of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
by Margaret Fishback Powers
God Uses Problems
...
The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you, depending on how
you respond to them. Unfortunately most people fail to see how God wants to use
problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems
rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Here are five
ways God wants to use the problems in your life:
1. God uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light a fire under you to
get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to
change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful
situation to make us change our ways." Proverbs 20:30 (GN)
2. God uses problems to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags...if you want to
know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your
faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When you have many
kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these
troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." James 1:2-3 (NCV)
3. God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and
failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot
stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the
value of something... health, money, a relationship ... by losing it. ". . . It
was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay
attention to your laws." Psalm 119:71-72 (LB)
4. God uses problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if
it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend
was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to
do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and
sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually
discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..." Genesis
50:20(NIV)
5. God uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are
character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your
comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things
you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into
problems... they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of
character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally
our hope and faith are strong and steady." Romans 5:3-4 (LB)
Here's the point: God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize
it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with
Him!
Author Unknown
Back To Top
The Holding Pattern
A special message for times of trial and
tribulation. Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful
circumstance in our life to "swallow us up." This season in our spiritual growth
is a holding pattern.
We can't move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in
the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak
to us.
God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart.
Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no
books to read, no food to eat, no interference's, and no interruptions.
He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray. When we're deep down in
the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our
undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not
otherwise have seen.
A. Few Of God's Holding Patterns:
1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed, but God has not
healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern
2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the
altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.
3. When you have been praying for the salvation of a loved one and they have not
been saved yet, you are in a holding pattern.
4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but
it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.
5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them, you are in a holding
pattern.
When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no
interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think,
meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no mountains that
are high enough, valleys that are low enough, rivers that are wide enough, rooms
that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him. We must
remember to praise Him while we're waiting and remember three things:
1. The pattern has a purpose.
2. The pattern has a plan.
3. The pattern has a process.
So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He'll keep you
right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, "I love you."
Prayer: Father, forgive my unbelief. I know you love me and will turn anything
around to benefit me. You have planned nothing for me but victories and I am
ready to receive them regardless of how difficult the path. Amen
The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between
your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to
anything
Be Blessed.
Author Unknown
True Healing
My son was wheezing and gasping for
breath. I had never seen him so sick. His face was pale and his irregular
breathing pattern was very scary. I got worried and started to panic. I didn't
even call the doctor's office for an appointment -- no time to waste!
I just bundled-up my son, David, and rushed him to the doctor's office. All that
was going through mind was "I have got to get the doctor see my son
immediately."
When we reached the doctor's office, I was not happy because there were so many
other people waiting to see the doctor. The nurse checked my son and said he'll
be okay -- you'll just have to "WAIT" for your turn. Easy for her to say --
David wasn't her son. So, I did wait (I had to). My son still looked very, very
sick, to me.
Finally, I took a deep breath and started looking at the faces of the other moms
and dads in the waiting room. I could see a calm, relaxed and peaceful look on
their faces. I guess they all knew that they were at the doctor's office and
that their turn would come, and they had faith that the doctor could heal their
child, or at least make them feel better.
When I realized that, I said a little prayer, and I immediately started to feel
more at peace too. Just knowing I was in the "waiting room" at the doctor's
office, who I believed could make David bounce back to normal made me feel
better, and calmed my panicking heart. I knew that everything was under control,
and even my son looked like he was getting better already.
In the same way, if we are worried and restless because of other uncontrollable
problems in our life, we should rush to the "waiting room" of JESUS. Yes, we
will probably have to "WAIT" there too. But when the time is right, HE will take
care of all our needs.
We panic when we try do everything on our own and are far away from HIM. So, get
closer to HIM by going to HIS "waiting room," through prayer. When we pray and
"WAIT" upon the LORD we can definitely feel the peace and security that only HE
can provide. JESUS is the only one who can truly help us. Besides that, HE knows
our every "true need," and HE will never fail us.
Addendum -- Matthew 11:28 (NLT) "Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who
are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
Author Unknown
One day a small opening appeared on a
cocoon, a man sat and watched for the butterfly for
several hours as it struggled to force its body through
that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any
progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it
could and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly, he took a pair
of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the
cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he
expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge
and expand to be able to support the body, which would
contract in time. Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not
understand was that the restricting cocoon and the
struggle required for the butterfly to get through the
tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the
body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be
ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the
cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our
life. If God allowed us to go through our life without
any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as
strong as what we could have been.
We could never fly.
The Burden
"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door
and leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life?
I wondered. I stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it,
pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the noise
of my existence.
"Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever
and never wake up!"
With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion,
then welcomed the blackness that came over me.
Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I
focused on its source: The figure of a man standing
before a cross.
"My child," the person asked, "why did you want to come
to Me before I am ready to call you?"
"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You
see how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden on
my back. I simply can't carry it anymore."
"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon
Me, because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My
burden is light.
"I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be
so heavy?"
"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps
you would like to
try a different one?"
"I can do that?"
He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You
may try any of these."
All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was
labeled with a name.
"There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy
businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and
dresssed her three daughters in the prettiest designer
clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her
Cadillac when
my car was broken.
"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden
be? I thought.
The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my
shoulders. I sank my knees beneath its weight. "Take it
off!" I said. ""What makes it so heavy?"
"Look inside."
I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a
figure of her Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out,
it began to speak.
"Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it
began. "He never should have married you. You're a
terrrible mother to my grandchildren..."
I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and
withdrew another. It was Donna, Joan's youngest
daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery that
had failed to resolve her epilepsy. A third figure was
Joan's brother.
Addicted to drugs, he had been convicted of killing a
police officer.
"I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's
always smiling and
helping others. I didn't realize...."
"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.
I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising
four small boys without a father. Debra's did too: A
childhood of sexual abuse and a marriage of emotional
abuse. When I Came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even
try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age,
a demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a
nursing home.
"They're all too heavy, Lord" I said. ""Give back my
own."
As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much
lighter than the others.
"Lets look inside" He said.
I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good
idea," I said.
"Why?"
"There's a lot of junk in there."
"Let Me see."
The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened
my burden.
He pulled out a brick.
"Tell me about this one."
"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like
people in some countries or even the homeless here in
America. But we have no insurance, and when the kids get
sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've
never been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them
in hand-me-downs."
"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your
children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach
them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person
valuable in My sight."
Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And
this?" He asked.
"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a
burden. "But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet
like the other two. He makes me so tired. He's always
getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him.
I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt
him...."
"My child," He said, "If you trust Me, I will renew your
strength, if you allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I
will give you patience."
Then He took some pebbles from my burden.
"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But
they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I
can't make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the
beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I
hate all my clothes. I hate the way I look!"
"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I
look at your heart. By My Spirit you can gain
self-control to lose weight. But your beauty should not
come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come
from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle
and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in My sight."
My burden now seemed lighter than before.
"I guess I can handle it now" I said.
"There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick."
"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."
"My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me.
He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw
the ugly wound.
"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty,
so.....Lord! What happened to Your hands? They're so
scarred!"
No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first
time into His face. In His brow were ragged scars-as
though someone had pressed thorns into His flesh.
"Lord," I whispered. "What happened to You?"
His loving eyes reached into my soul.
"My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to
Me. I bought it."
"How?"
"With My blood."
"But why, Lord?"
"Because I have loved you with an everlasting love. Give
it to Me."
I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It
contained all the dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my
selfishness, the depression that constantly tormented
me. He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the
pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple.
"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you
always. When you are troubled, call to Me and I will
help you and show you things you cannot imagine now."
"Yes, Lord, I will call on You."
I reached to pick up my burden.
"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these
burdens? They are the ones that others have left at My
feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's..... When you
leave your burden here, I carry it with you. Remember,
My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade.
Yet I heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor
forsake you.
A peace flooded my soul.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28, NIV)
Author Unknown
Remember The Bent Tree
I was lying in bed this morning thanking God for his healing and then praying
for greater healing from some childhood damage I have often struggled to
overcome.
I began thinking about how nice it would be if those events had never happened.
But as I was praying about it, the thought came to me to "remember the bent
tree".
The "bent tree" story is one I heard as a young boy when an elderly pastor was
talking about it to his adult congregation. Being a "young tree" myself at the
time, I didn't then fully understand the story. From my childhood memory, it
goes like this:
A large family with several children had just moved to a home in the country.
The children were delighted to discover that on the property there was a pond
suitable for swimming. On a bank at the side of the pond a young oak tree was
growing. The tree was so young that its trunk and branches were thin and quite
flexible--not capable of supporting much weight.
The children discovered that with a running start they could make the thin
branches swing and arc over the pond enough to drop in with a satisfying splash.
They spent many happy summer hours playing in the pond and swinging from the
tree. But after a few years they outgrew the pond and the tree was no longer
used.
There was damage to the small tree, however. The branches and trunk had been
bent and twisted and strained so much they were no longer straight as they had
been before. The tree looked like it was crippled forever.
Time passed and 35 years later, the long-since grown children came together for
a reunion in the area of their childhood. They asked the new owners of the
property if they could explore once more the place they had grown up. And of
course, they walked out to the pond.
In their mind's eye, they expected to see a spindly young oak at the side of the
pond.
But things had changed.
What they saw was a large mature oak tree whose trunk and branches had become
thick and massive. But through the solid branches they could still see the
unnatural bend in the trunk they themselves had created--it had become part of
the tree's character.
I think the story might have ended there as the pastor made the point that "as
the twig is bent, so grows the tree". I think he was teaching that all of us, as
parents and neighbors, affect the lives of our children and people around us in
ways that can change their lives for good or bad forever.
But this morning, as I remembered the tree, I saw there is more to the story.
Yes, the tree had been damaged and bent. But where there had been damage and
weakness there was now massive strength and attractive character. The curving
trunk and branches arching over the pond could no longer be moved. In fact, the
tree now provided stability to the bank on which it grew and extra shade over
the pond for comfort to others. A new rope had been hung from the now solid
branch for a new generation of children to swing over the water.
It was as if the Lord was telling me that I was praying for the healing He had
started long ago. And the healing He often chooses is turning weakness and
damage into strength and character that may be used by Him to provide support,
comfort and teaching to others. Yet the healing I had been praying for was to
"make it as if it never happened."
Thinking about the bent tree helped me understand a little more what the Lord
has told us before--that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
When I realized that He has been healing me all along, I saw that my prayer for
healing needs to change--not so much that He will make it as though some
pain in life had never happened, but that His strength will be all the more
manifest-- because of it.
Author Unknown
Just in Time
Do you ever worry about what might happen in the future?
Or do you find yourself anxious about things over which
you have no control? If so, then a teaching from author
and lecturer, Corrie ten Boom may help.
She learned a powerful lesson as a little girl. Having
encountered the cold, lifeless body of a baby, she
realized that the reality of death would someday strike
her family, too. Perhaps her father or mother or sister
Betsy, would soon die.
She anxiously worried about these possibilities until
her father came in one night to tuck her into bed.
Corrie burst into tears and sobbed, "I need you. You
can't die. You can't!"
Her father sat on the edge of the narrow bed and spoke
tenderly to his daughter. "Corrie," he said gently,
"when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your
ticket?"
She sniffed a few times and considered the question.
"Why, just before I get on the train," she answered.
"Exactly," he continued. Then he gave her assurance that
was to last a lifetime. He told her that a wise God
knows when she will need things, too. "Don't run out
ahead of God," he cautioned her. "When the time comes
that some of us have to die, you will look into your
heart and find the strength you need . . . just in
time."
Corrie and her family were sent to concentration camps
where she suffered greatly during World War II. She,
indeed, was to experience the deaths of her parents and
sister, as well as numerous friends. She was to endure
hardships which she could never have imagined as a young
child. But the words of her father stayed with her and
proved to be true. "You will look into your heart and
find the strength you need . . . just in time."
Regardless of the suffering or hardship she encountered,
when she looked inside her heart she found the strength
she needed . . . just in time.
Author Unknown
From Trash to
Treasure
"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt
raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The
repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isa 58:12 KJV)
I heard a character on Touched By an Angel say last night, "God loves to take
what has been impossibly broken and put the pieces back together again." How
true this is. God is in the business of reconciliation and restoration. I used
to live in Eureka, California. Up there we had a lot of beautiful Victorian
Homes that people had restored. Most of this restoration began in the mid-70's,
and since I grew up in that town, I knew what a lot of these homes looked like
before they were restored.
Many of them were rundown, paint peeling off the sides, windows broken, grounds
overrun with weeds, gingerbread hanging from the side of the buildings. You
could buy these properties for a song (and sing it yourself) back in the late
sixties. But over time people began to look past the broken glass, chipped paint
and general decay and saw the former glory of these Victorian mansions. They
painstakingly cleaned the grounds, replaced the broken glass, woodwork,
gingerbread etc. They furnished the houses with antiques and antique replicas.
Within a decade homes that could have been purchased for $15-20,000, homes that
were ready to be condemned and bulldozed for apartments or subdivisions, homes
which were an eyesore, were selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, were
sought after by investors and homeowners alike, even became tourist attractions
with tours passing by all summer long.
What people had considered trash, suddenly became treasures. And all it took was
some repair work. So it was with some of us, before we met the Lord. We were
tumbled down, in need of paint, in need of restoration. Many would have looked
at us and said, "Why bother about them?" But Jesus saw beyond the debris to our
former glory and said, "Father, I can restore them. I can make them beautiful."
Then he rolled up His sleeves and got to work cleaning, replacing, repairing so
that one day he can present us in heaven as we were intended to be from the
start, a priceless work of art from the Master's Hand.
"Lord, thank you for doing your work of restoration in me. Amen"
Author Unknown
Perspectives
Today began like any other day. In the course of several hours, though, I found
myself sitting in a hospital emergency room awaiting the diagnosis of my
husband, who had been suddenly stricken by a problematic gall bladder. As my
spouse waited to be admitted into the hospital for surgery, I could hear other
emergency room patients relaying to doctors and nurses of how sickness had also
befallen them. One brawny man, whose arms were covered with tattoos, was reduced
to a helpless child, his asthma so severe he could barely speak. Another man,
who had advanced Multiple Sclerosis, came in to seek relief from agonizing
headaches he would get sporadically. Across from us, lay a grossly overweight
woman who had a stroke. Even though my husband and I were there with this matter
of his gall bladder, after hearing so many stories of tragedies, I was thankful
it was nothing more serious.
That night, as my husband was recuperating from surgery, I walked about the
hospital looking for a coffee machine. I stumbled upon the ward where terminal
patients were housed. These people were at death's door with terminal diseases,
such as AIDS and Leukemia. Compared to these patients, my husband's emergency
gall bladder removal was insignificant. Instead of asking,"Why God?" I began
saying,"Thank you, God!"
How easy it is to lose our perspective on matters of ill health and tragedy.
Somewhere in the world someone else has it MUCH worse.
When tragedy strikes, there is nothing we can do to turn back the hands of time.
We must accept the situation and deal with it practically, head on. At the same
time, we must call out to God for his strength, guidance, and hand of
protection. As with all things, God's will be done. We might not understand it
in our lifetime, but we can still place our faith and trust in His heavenly
wisdom so that even in the darkest of tragedies, His light will always shine
through.
Author Unknown
Choosing
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and
always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was
doing, he would reply, ''If I were any better, I would be twins!''
He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was
there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and
asked him, ''I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How
do you do it?'' Michael replied, ''Each morning I wake up and say to myself,
Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can
choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood..
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to
learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me
complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the
positive side of life. I point out the positive side of life. ''Yeah, right,
it's not that easy,'' I protested. ''Yes, it is,''Michael said. ''Life is all
about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You
choose how you react to situations.. You choose how people affect your mood. You
choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.. The bottom line: It's your choice how
you live life.''
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon there after, I left the CellTower
industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him
when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it..
Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident,
falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and
weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed
in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him
how he was, he replied. ''If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my
scars?'' I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his
mind as the accident took place. ''The first thing that went through my mind was
the well-being of my soon to be born daughter, ''
Michael replied. ''Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two
choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live.''
''Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?'' I asked. Michael continued,
''...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But
when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the
doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead
man.'' I knew I needed to take action.'' ''What did you do?'' I asked. ''Well,
there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,'' said Michael. ''She
asked if I was allergic to anything. ''Yes....,I replied.'' The doctors and
nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and
yelled, ''Gravity.'' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live.
Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'' Michael lived, thanks to the skill
of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him
that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is
everything..
''Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.'' Matthew 6:34
Author Unknown
Back To Top
Take a moment to ponder over the
story. The above story is used with the hope that it
will help us appreciate the difference between lateral
and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be
solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the
consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.
What would you recommend to the Girl to do?
Well, here is what she did . . . .
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a
pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it
fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately
became lost among all the other pebbles.
"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if
you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will
be able to tell which pebble I picked."
Since the remaining pebble is black, it is reasonable to
assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the
money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl
changed what seemed an impossible situation into an
extremely favorable one for herself and her father.
Author Unknown
The Teacup
There was a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique
store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and
pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked "May we
see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand.
I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red
clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I
yelled out, 'Don't do that. I don't like it! Let me alone.' But he only smiled,
and gently said; 'Not yet!'" "Then. WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and
suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting so
dizzy! I'm going to be sick,' I screamed. But the master only nodded and said,
quietly; 'Not yet.'
"He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and
then… Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked
and pounded at the door. Help! Get me out of here! I could see him through the
opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not
yet'."
"When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully
took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good!
Ah, this is much better, I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he
brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag.
'Oh, please; Stop it, Stop it!' I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not
yet!'."
"Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first
one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I
pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready
to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on
the shelf, where I cooled and waited ------- and waited, wondering "What's he
going to do to me next? An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at
yourself.'" "And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's
beautiful. I'm beautiful!'
Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be
rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried
up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped,
you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the
oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes
were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you
never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I
hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long
because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now
you are what I had in mind when I first began with you."
The moral of this story is this: God knows what He's doing for each of us. He is
the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, and expose us to
just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a
flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.
So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost
beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you
feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try
this....
Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest teacup, sit down and think on
this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.
Author Unknown
Stepping Stones
The Lord came to me like a dream one day and asked, "Why do you sorrow?"
I answered, "Lord my life is so full of pain, I can't face one more tomorrow."
The Lord sat down beside me, and gently took my hand. He said, "Let Me explain
to you, and then you'll understand. Each sorrow
is a stepping stone you must surmount each day, And every stepping stone you
climb is a sorrow that's passed away."
"The road of life is a mountainside, with crevices in which to be caught, But as
you struggle on your way, I, the Rock, will lend
support. Every stepping stone you climb, makes spirit and heart grow strong.
Exercising character and faith, this road seems painful and long."
"The way is paved with stepping stones, to uplift your heart and soul, Though
difficult, they aid your way, to a City paved with gold. I know
that you are tired, for I, too, have walked this way, My sorrows did they
multiply, but I cleared many stones away. I left My Rock to lift
you up, I left behind My story, To give you strength to make your climb, to that
special place in glory. And never fear, the Rock is here, you'll
never climb this mountain alone. Surmount life's sorrows, continue on, for they
are but stepping stones."
Author Unknown
One Glass of Milk
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way
through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He
decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve
when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry
so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How
much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught
us never to accept pay for a kindness."
He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he
not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also.
He had been ready to give up and quit.
Year's later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were
baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists
to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation.
When he heard the name of the town she came from, he went down the hall of the
hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He
recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do
his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business
office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote
something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it,
for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally
she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read
these words: "PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK. (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly."
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that
Your love is shed abroad through human hearts and hands."
"HE ALWAYS PROVIDES"
Author Unknown
The Fern and The
Bamboo
One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality....
I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me.
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I
gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its
brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I
did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing
came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not
quit. The same in year four.
"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.
But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave
it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge
it could not handle.
"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have
actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo.. I will never quit
on you.
"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose
than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.
"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?" I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will
never give up on you.
Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential
to life.
Author Unknown
Request For Transfer
TO: Commander-in-Chief Spiritual Armed Forces, Jesus Christ
Dear Lord:
I am writing this to You to request a transfer to a desk job. I herewith present
my reasons: I began my career as a private, but because of the intensity of the
battle You have quickly moved me up in the ranks. You have made me an officer
and given me a tremendous amount of responsibility. There are many soldiers and
recruits under my charge. I am constantly being called upon to dispense wisdom,
make judgments, and find solutions to complex problems. You have placed me in a
position to function as an officer, when in my heart I know I have only the
skills of a private.
I realize that You have promised to supply all I would need for the battle. But
Sir, I must present You a realistic picture of my situation. My uniform, once so
crisp and starched, is now stained with tears and blood of those I have tried to
assist. The soles of my boots are cracked and worn from the miles I have walked
trying to enlist, encourage, and instruct the troops. My weapons are marred,
tarnished and chipped from constant battle against the enemy. Even the Book of
Regulations I was issued has been torn and tattered from endless use. The words
are now smeared.
You have promised You would be with me throughout, but when the noise of the
battle is so loud and the confusion is so great, I can neither see nor hear You.
I feel so alone. I'm tired. I'm discouraged. I have Battle Fatigue. I would
never ask You for a discharge. I love being in Your service. But I humbly
request a demotion and transfer. I'll file papers or clean latrines. Just get me
out of the battle -- please, Sir.
Your Faithful, but tired, Warrior.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
TO: Faithful, but tired, Soldier, Spiritual Armed Forces
LOCATION: The Battlefield
SUBJECT: Transfer
Dear Soldier:
Your request for transfer has been denied. I herewith present My reasons: You
are needed in this battle. I have selected you, and I will keep My Word to
supply your needs. You do not need a demotion and transfer. Besides, you'd never
cut it on latrine duty anyway. You need a period of "R & R" (Renewal and
Rekindling). I am setting aside a place on the battlefield that is insulated and
fully protected from the enemy. I will meet you there and I will give you rest.
I will remove your old equipment and "make all things new."
You have been wounded in the battle, My soldier. Your wounds are not visible,
but you have received grave internal injuries. You need to be healed. I will
heal you. Also, you have been weakened in the battle. You need to be
strengthened. I will strengthen you and be your strength. I will instill in you
confidence and ability. My Words will be rekindled within you, giving you
renewed love, zeal and enthusiasm. Report to Me tattered and empty. I will
replenish you.
Compassionately,
Your Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ
Author Unknown
Back To Top
Artist's Task
On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert
at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. If you have ever been
to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for
him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and so he has braces on both legs
and walks with the aid of two crutches. To see him walk across the stage one
step at a time, painfully and slowly, is an unforgettable sight. He walks
painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down,
slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one
foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up
the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play.
By now, the audience is used to this ritual. They sit quietly while he makes his
way across the stage to his chair. They remain reverently silent while he undoes
the clasps on his legs. They wait until he is ready to play.
But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one
of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap - it went off like
gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what that sound meant. There was
no mistaking what he had to do. People who were there that night thought to
themselves: We figured that he would have to get up, put on the clasps again,
pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage, to either find another violin
or else find another string for this one. But he didn't.
Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to
begin again. The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And
he played with such passion and such power and such purity as we had never heard
before. Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work
with just three strings. I know that, and you know that, but that night Itzhak
Perlman refused to acknowledge that. You could see him modulating, changing,
recomposing the piece in his head. At one point, it sounded like he was
de-tuning the strings to get new sounds from them that they had never made
before.
When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose
and cheered. There was an extraordinary outburst of applause from every corner
of the auditorium. We were all on our feet, screaming and cheering, doing
everything we could to show how much we appreciated what he had done. He smiled,
wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quiet us, and then he said,
not boastfully but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone:
"You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can
still make with what you have left."
What a powerful line that is. It has stayed in my mind ever since I heard it.
And who knows? Perhaps that is the way of life - not just for artists but for
all of us. So, perhaps our task in this shaky, fast-changing, bewildering world
in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have and then, when
that is no longer possible, to still make music with all that we have left.
Author Unknown
The Reef
DON'T WORRY IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS! Which is easy to say until you are in the
midst of a really big one, I know. But the only people I am aware of who don't
have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods. Most communities have at
least one. We call them cemeteries. If you're breathing, you have difficulties.
It's the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually
be good for you! Let me explain.
Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New
Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef.
On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question. "I notice that the
lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant
and colorful," a traveler observed. "Why is this?"
The guide gave an interesting answer: "The coral around the lagoon side is in
still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the
ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, storms -- surges of power.
It has to fight for survival every day of it's life. As it is challenged and
tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it
reproduces." Then he added this telling note: "That's the way it is with every
living organism."
That is how it is with people! Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral
pounded by the sea, we grow! Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger.
Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency.
Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness. So, you
have problems -- no problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!"
Author Unknown
Getting Back
On Life's Course
I suspect you grew up hearing what my Daddy used to tell me: "Son, when a horse
throws you, I want to see you get right back on him. Do you hear me?"
Well, yes, I heard him. It's just that we didn't own a horse. But the point of
it all wasn't really about horses, falling off, and getting back on them. It was
about tenacity and persistence in life. It was about believing in something and
not giving up. Here's a story that reminded me of his advice.
Seven horses were entered in the Feast of St. Raymond Novices' Chase at
Southwell, England, last month. I don't know anything about "St. Raymond," but
what happened that day may just qualify him as the Patron of Unlikely Victories.
The favorite in the race was a horse named Family Business. Jockey Tony McCoy
was in the saddle and set to ride him over the course to victory.
Things went reasonably well until a mistake on the tenth of seventeen fences
sent McCoy flying. He landed on the muddy ground, threw off his helmet in
disgust, and started walking his horse off the course. Glancing up occasionally
at the other horses and riders, he saw first one and then another slip on the
wet turf. To make a long story short, not a single one of the original seven
covered the course without tumbling. It looked more like bowling than
steeplechase!
"I started walking back toward the weighing room," said McCoy, "and there was
one less standing every time I looked. I thought maybe I should get back up and
see what happens." So, four minutes after being thrown, he got back on Family
Business, re-jumped Fence 10, and completed the 3 1/16-mile course.
Tony McCoy wound up the winning rider -- although with an incredibly slow time.
He was more than four minutes slower than the average time for races run on the
same track. Resolve proved to be more important than speed that day.
Discouraged over the economy? Frustrated with a job search? Having problems in
your family? Has a relationship broken down? Suffering from a major spiritual
setback? Has an old addiction resurfaced to throw you?
Being thrown doesn't mean the race is over or that you're through. You have the
thrilling option of getting up again and finishing your course.
Here is what the Bible says: "Though a righteous person falls seven times, he
rises again, but the wicked are brought low by calamity." (Proverbs 24:16)
Author Unknown