Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Scars of Love

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole that was behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out through the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. 

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. 

In the house, his mother was looking out through the window. She saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. 

Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed, and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. >From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms, just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began a very incredible tug-of-war between the two. 

The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. 

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim, and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy SURVIVED. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. On his arms, there were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh; in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. 

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked the boy if he would show him his scars. 

The boy lifted his pant legs. Then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go.' 

You and I can identify with that little boy. 

We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly, and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been right there, holding on to you. 

The Scripture says that God loves you. 

You are a child of God. He wants to protect you, and provide for you in every way. But, sometimes, we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That is when the tug-of-war begins. 

If you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He will not ever let you go. 

Never judge other persons scars, because you don't know how they got them. 

-- Author Unknown

A Lizard can. Can we?

This is a true story that happened in Japan.  In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan broke open the wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. 

He saw this and felt pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built. What happened? 

The lizard had survived in such position for 10 years ! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind-boggling.  Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years!!! Without moving a single step - since its foot was nailed ! 

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it had been doing, and what and how it had been eating. Later, not knowing from where it came, appeared another lizard, with food in its mouth. 

Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by nail, another lizard had been feeding it for the past 10 years... 

Imagine ! it had been doing that untiringly for 10 long years, without giving up hope on its partner. 

Think. Would you do that for your partner ? 

Think. Would you do it for your Mom who brought you into this world after a big struggle of nine long months ? Or for your Dad? Friends, brothers and sisters ? 

Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't. 

As information and communication technology advances, our access to information becomes faster and faster. But the Distance between human beings . . . is it getting closer as well ? 

Please never abandon your loved ones. Never Say U R Busy When They Really Need You ....

You May Have The Entire World At Your Feet..... 
But You Might Be The Only World To Them.... 
A Moment of negligence might break the very heart which loves you thru all odds.. 

Before you say something just remember :

It takes a moment to Break 
but an entire life to make... 
To Survive use your Brains,
but to Live, use your Heart.

A Water Bottle and a Little Girl's Prayer

Helen Roseveare served as a missionary doctor to Africa. Despite her best efforts, a mother she attended in the labor ward died leaving a tiny baby and a two-year-old daughter. To keep the premature baby warm, someone went to fill a hot water bottle. Unfortunately, the bottle broke and they had no other bottles. 

The following noon when Dr. Roseveare prayed with the orphanage children, she told them about the tiny baby mentioning the hot water bottle and also the sister crying because her mother had died. 

Ten-year-old Ruth prayed, "Please, God, send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."

While Dr. Roseveare gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, Ruth added, "And would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?"

How could Dr. Roseveare honestly say, "Amen"? She had been in Africa for almost four years and had never received a parcel from home. And she certainly had no place purchase these supplies.

But at mid afternoon, a car arrived at her front door and someone left a parcel. She sent for the children, and excitement mounted as she lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys, bandages, and a box of raisins. 

Then she felt the...  could it really be?... She pulled out a brand-new hot water bottle! Ruth rushed forward, crying, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!"

Rummaging to the bottom of the box, she pulled out a small, beautifully dressed dolly. 

That parcel, packed by Dr. Roseveare's former Sunday school class, had been on the way for five months.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Conclusion - Truth

Once a old man & his 25 years old son were going in train.
The son sat next to window & started looking outwards & then shouted,"Dad look the trees going behind.."

Dad smiled...
And a young couple siting near looked at the 25 yrs old behaving childishly, with pity. 

Suddenly he again exclaimed,"Dad look the clouds running with us"

Couple couldn't resist & said 2 old man,"Why don't you take your son to a good doctor?"

Old man smiled and said, "We did and we are just coming from hospital. My son was blind from birth & just got his eyes today!"

Moral: Don't jump to a conclusion directly.. coz many times what you see, hear and feel is not the TRUTH!

Friday, May 28, 2010

No more with me

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I don't mean to hold you up," he said as he struggled to get off the escalator.

I'll admit to it. There have been times when walking or driving behind an older person I've gotten impatient and upset. I've huffed and zoomed around them because I was in a hurry to get nowhere. Perhaps I'm more aware of it now because I see myself there one day soon. Today I saw myself in this old man's shoes and it caused me to slow down, stop and ask for his forgiveness.

He was about five or six people ahead of me. I was in a hurry and saw him as an obstacle. I've seen people get off the end of an escalator and stop dead in their tracks, gather their things and suddenly there's a pile up of angry people behind them. You can't stop an escalator full of people behind you. Like the Energizer bunny, they keep on goin'.

This man was well aware of the challenge. He tried desperately to step aside. Fumbling with his small packages, struggling to gain his footing, you could see how troubling this was for him. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I don't mean to hold you up," he said as he struggled to get off the escalator.

I suddenly saw this in a whole new light. It was like I was watching my future. I felt sorry for him. I felt sick to my stomach because this man was apologizing to everyone, when we should have been helping him and calming his fears.

One by one, people zipped around him. I heard a few angry comments whispered as one lady passed by him.

I saw me.

By the time I got to him he was just about steady on his feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was more," he said.

"No, sir. No more with me," I said. This really hit me hard. I realized right then how sad it was that the world was in such a hurry. That, of course, included me. But...no more with me. Count me out.

This wonderful man paid his dues. For whatever time he had spent on this earth, he most likely walked many rough roads and too many important miles. Now he should be apologizing for moving slower?

My heart ached as I looked into his eyes. I wished that I could see what he had seen all those years. His face weathered from life itself, was creased and wrinkled. The small soft pockets under his eyes and the gentle lines that curved up and around them told me he had many happy moments, too. Those were traces left behind from laughter and a smiling, happy man.

"My friend, can I help you with those things?" I asked.

Hesitant at first, he finally said, "Well, yes, thank you!"

I placed my hand under his left arm and walked with him a safe distance away from the rush of people.

"So what are you shopping for, sir?"

"Oh, just a little something for my neighbor. She's a young mother raising kids on her own. She's always so nice to me. I thought a box of candy for Mother's Day..." he said, stopping suddenly as he searched his inside pocket of his sport coat.

"Do you need something?" I asked.

"Oh, no. Here. I think I have it right here. I always carry them with me," he said. Then pulling out a hand full of papers he shuffled through them and handed me a business card that read:

"John A. Pomicter
Friend to all...enemy to no one!
I said a prayer today and you were the answer. Thank you!"

"That's for you," he said. "Thanks for stopping to help an old man."

"My friend, you helped me. I discovered that I was unhappy with the world and I was part of the problem. Now I'll be part of the solution. No more with me!"

"Then this was meant to be," he said smiling.

"You know God sends me gifts every day and always at least one special person. You were my gift for today! Let's go get some chocolates, my friend."


-- Author Unknown

Imitating HIS Voice

Pastor Mark Thompson of Faribault, Minnesota, suffered terrible knife wounds from an assailant in his home, in October 1988. One of the many consequences of his difficult recovery was being forced to miss watching his son Chris run in the state cross-country championship meet.

Pastor Thompson commissioned his brother Merv to go in his stead. According to the account in the St. Paul Pioneer Press & Dispatch, Mark told his brother, "I can't be there to see Chris run. So I want you there at the beginning of the race. Holler a lot.... Then at the end, I want you to really cheer loudly. And I want you to make your voice sound like mine."

Merv heeded the advice, and Chris ran a strong race, finishing second. Merv, also a pastor, discerned the theological truth in the story. "That's what Jesus wants us to do." he said. "Make your voice sound like mine."

-- Author Unknown

Living your Life without Sin

There was a little girl, who's father was a pastor.

One day, she came to her father and said, "Daddy, can a person go their whole life without sinning?"

The father answered, "No, honey, I'm sorry, but that's just not possible."

"What about a year, daddy? Can a person go a whole year without sinning?" She continued.

"No, I don't think that's possible either."

"What about a day, can a person go a day without sinning once?"

"It's very unlikely, no, I don't think they can."

"What about one moment, daddy, can a person go one moment without sinning?"

"Yes, that is possible."

"Then daddy, I want to live my life, moment by moment."

Isn't that how we should live our lives. Not looking ahead to our whole lives, or distant plans. But live moment by moment, as if this moment where your last one before you reach eternity.


-- Author Unknown