Friday, July 29, 2011

Just stay

Just Stay

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.


Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.


The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.


Along towards dawn, the old man died The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.


Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.


"Who was that man?" he asked.



The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.



"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."


"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"


"I knew right away there had been a mistake,

but I also knew he needed his son, and his
son just wasn't here.



When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey.

His son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's Name?



The Nurse with Tears in

Her Eyes Answered,

Mr. William Grey.............





The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.



**************

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.


WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

(love this line)

Friday, July 22, 2011

Why would God want ME?

Why would God want ME?
~Author Unknown~


I'm not perfect. I have all kinds of problems. I have no ability. I have no
gifts. I'm just not worthy. Why would God want me?

Well, did you know that....

Moses stuttered.
David's armor didn't fit.
John Mark deserted Paul.
Timothy had ulcers.
Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
Jacob was a liar.
David had an affair.
Solomon was too rich.
Jesus was too poor.
Abraham was too old.
David was too young.
Peter was afraid of death.
Lazarus was dead.
John was self-righteous.
Naomi was a widow.
Paul was a persecutor of the church.
Moses was a murderer.
Jonah ran from God's will.
Miriam was a gossip.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
Elijah was burned out.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Martha was a worry-wart.
Noah got drunk.
Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?
So did Peter, Paul - well, lots of folks did.

But God doesn't require a job interview for salvation. He's our Heavenly
Father. He doesn't look at financial gain or loss. He's not prejudiced or
partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not
blind to our need. He knows who we are and what we are and loves us in
spite of ourselves

SATAN SAYS, "YOU'RE NOT WORTHY."
JESUS SAYS, "SO WHAT? I AM."
SATAN LOOKS BACK AND SEES OUR MISTAKES.
GOD LOOKS BACK AND SEES THE CROSS.

He doesn't calculate how you failed. It's not even on the record.
Sure, there are lots of reasons why God shouldn't call us. But if we are in
love with Him, if we hunger for Him, He'll use us in spite of who we are,
where we've been, what we have done, or the fact that we are not
perfect!

Friday, July 15, 2011

"Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over,

A preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over,
please come forward to the front by the altar."



With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the Preacher asked,
"Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?"



Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."



The preacher put one finger of one hand in Leroy's ear, placed his other
hand on top of Leroy's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed. He
prayed a "blue streak" for Leroy, and the whole congregation joined in with
great enthusiasm.





After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked,
"Leroy, how is your hearing now?"



Leroy answered, "I don't know. It ain't 'til next week."

Friday, July 8, 2011

A Keeper

Keeper






Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress; lawn mower in his hand, and dish-towel in hers.. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away ...never to return. So ..While we have it ...its best we love it ... And care for it .... And fix it when it's broken ... And heal it when it's sick.

This is true ...For marriage ... And old cars ... And children with bad report cards ... Dogs and cats with bad hips ... And aging parents ... And grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and friends. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep. Like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special .. And so, we keep them close in heart and mind and spirit.


Good friends are like stars ... you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.