The Gardener’s Touch
You
discovered me, a shriveled-up stalk in a flowerpot, square in the middle of a
brick room of my own making. It had taken many years to create that room, one
brick at a time, cemented with experience, and I was proud of it.
You
entered my room, and with unconditional acceptance started chipping away, ever
so delicately, here, then there, at the bricks and mortar. I was afraid the
debris might injure me, so I hid.
Searching,
you found me, and hugged me. Much to my surprise, I hugged back. A piece of
mortar fell, allowing a tiny ray of sunlight in. I blinked, for the light was
very bright and I had been in darkness for so long.
Another
brick fell, then another, and yet another, letting in more and more light. I was
fearful of becoming burned, and retreated quickly to the darkest corner I could
find in my room.
You
followed, putting your arm around me, sitting beside me, and said that you loved
me. Those words flowed as a cool stream of fresh mountain water; my stalk became
green, and a small leaf emerged.
Through
the now-considerable hole in my room came words I had thought never to hear
again, for they were not deserved. "God loves you." "What, me? No
way," I thought. "Yes, you," your words and very actions repeated
persistently.
You
encouraged me to look around at the scenery outside. I was hesitant, but you
said, "Try it." A wall fell down; another wall started to crumble. I
was terrified, trembling at the destruction, and you prayed, holding me tight.
My
room collapsed completely. You pulled me out so I wouldn't be crushed;
affirming, praying, hugging, laughing and loving the entire way. But I wasn't
very grateful, and complained because I had been uprooted from everything I
knew.
I
started to tip over in my dejection, and you righted me. You said, "Take a
look around, for you are in the Lord's garden and sitting in His Sonshine."
I still felt uncomfortable without my room, and asked, "Why does a stick
need all this anyway?"
"Take
a look at yourself," was your reply. To my astonishment, I discovered the
twisted and withered brown stick was gone. I had become a small but gorgeous
rosebush, covered with green leaves and a rosebud just beginning to form.
I
was elated at this change, for I had never perceived such a possibility. I said,
"I need to let everyone see these buds and all this growth, for this is not
of my doing!" And you smiled, nodded your head, and said, "Yes."
Vicki Becker,
Stephen
Ministry
A
Time to Weep, A Time to Rejoice, A Time to Care, Volume I
THE
DART TEST...
anonymous
A young lady named
Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher,
Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object
lessons.
One particular day,
Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.
On the wall was a big
target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to
draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry,
and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.
Sally's friend drew a
picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his
little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of
detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased
with the overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and
began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force
that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was
filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the
students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was
because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith
began removing the target from the wall.
Underneath the target
was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the
mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His
eyes were pierced.
Dr. Smith said only
these words... "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40
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THE
LEGEND OF ST. PATRICK
St.
Patrick was a man of God
who
came to
Erin
's land
with
a loving prayer
within
his heart,
a
shamrock in his hand.
He
used the three-leafed shamrock
to
help all the people see
how
there could be three persons
in
the Holy Trinity,
and
the faith the Irish learned from him
today
can still be found -
a
heritage as lovely
as
the countryside around.
American
Greetings
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PENNIES
anonymous
You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good
luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist
on the story. It gives you something to think about.
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend
the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous
about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway,
and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and
Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live.
The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest
restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this
kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that
evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He
stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene
wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except
a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts.
Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up
and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How
absurd! What need did this man have for a
single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at Arlene. Finally, she could
stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin
collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile
crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for
the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What
was the point of this?
"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says."
She read the words, "
United States of America
."
"No, not that; read further."
"One cent?"
"No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?"
"Yes!"
"And?"
"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin.
Whenever, I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single
United States
coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me
telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, and
I stop to see if my trust IS in God at
that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in
Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is
God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and
pennies are plentiful!”
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped
and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind
about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In
God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.
It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in
the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.
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A
Love Letter From Jesus
Dear
Friend:
How are you? I just had to send you this
letter to tell you how much I love and care about you. I saw you yesterday as
you were walking with your friends. I waited all day, hoping you would talk to
Me also. As evening drew near, I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool
breeze to rest you, and I waited. You never came. Oh yes, it hurt Me, but I
still love you because I am your friend.
I saw you fall asleep last night, and I longed to touch your brow, so I
spilled moonlight upon your pillow and face. Again I waited, wanting to rush
down so we could talk, I have so many gifts for you. You awakened late and
rushed off for the day … My tears were in the rain. Today you looked so sad,
so alone. It makes my heart ache because I understand. My friends let Me down
and hurt Me many times too, but I love you. I try to tell you in the quiet green
grass; I whisper it in the leaves and trees, breathe it in the colors of the
flowers. I shout it to you in the mountain streams, and give the birds love
songs to sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air. My love for
you is deeper than the oceans and bigger than the biggest want or need you have.
We will spend eternity together in
heaven. I know how hard it is on this earth, I really know (because I was
there), and I want to help you. My Father wants to help you too. He's that way,
you know. Just call Me, ask Me, talk to Me. It is your decision. I have chosen
you, and because of this I will wait … because I love you.
Your
friend,
Jesus
A
CHILD'S VALENTINE PRAYER
From
"My Happy Heart"
By
Melody Carlson
"I
thank you, God, for those I love,
And
thanks for this good day!
I
made this card, though it's not much,
It's
rumpled and it's small.
But,
God, I give my heart to you.
For
I love you best of all!
Thank
you that you fill my heart,
With
all the love you do,
I
love you, God,
I
always will -
My
heart belongs to you!"
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A
GIFT FOR ALL TIME
Martin
had a problem.
It
was Christmas Eve, and he still hadn’t been able to
get
enough money to buy gifts for his six children.
Ministers’
salaries only went so far.
After
all the family was asleep in bed,
Martin sat by the flame of a single candle in
the living room.
Finally he got out a piece of parchment and a pen.
He might not
be able to buy presents,
but he certainly had something to give.
He set to work.
Finally, in the wee hours of the morning
he blew out the candle and waited for
daybreak.
A
few hours later he gathered his family around him and
gave them their gift.
Placing
his youngest daughter in his lap
he sang these words for the first time:
“Away
in a manger, no crib for His bed,
The
little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
The
stars in the sky looked down where He lay.
The
little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay...”
More
than 460 years have passed since Martin Luther first
gave
those words as a present to his children.
They
remain today as a gift he left for the world.
Two
thousand years ago, God also gave a precious gift to his children.
It
is the gift that Martin Luther wrote about –
Jesus
himself.
And
that gift lives through eternity.
(Excerpted
from the Student Plan-It Calendar, Group Publishing, Inc.,
P.O. Box 481
,
Loveland
,
CO
80539-0481
.)
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MARTIN
LUTHER
knew
that only God forgives sins.
And God does it for free.
Luther wrote his ideas on a piece of paper.
He wrote 95 items.
He nailed his paper on the main door
of the Castle Church in Wittenberg
on October 31, 1517.
Luther's Ninety-five Theses
challenged the sales of indulgences
and so began the reformation.
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A MOTHER'S HOPES
by
Lisa Guest
May you delight in the beauty and
wonder of the big world
May
you come to know what is right and what is wrong
May
you smile often and laugh freely
May
you be able to stand strong in what you believe
May
you live life with energy and enthusiasm
May
you have wisdom when it comes to choosing friends and activities
May
you be aware of the precious gift of each day
Most
of all, Little One, may you know that you are treasured and loved.
I
love these little people;
and
it is not a slight thing when they,
who
are so fresh from God, love us.
Charles
Dickens
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