I Forgive You
Author Unknown
A letter written to a man on death row by the Father of the man whom the man on death row had killed:
You are probably surprised that I, of all people, am writing a letter to you, but I ask you to read it in its entirety and consider its request seriously. As the Father of the man whom you took part in murdering, I have something very important to say to you.
I forgive you. With all my heart, I forgive you. I realize it may be hard for you to believe, but I really do. At your trial, when you confessed to your part in the events that cost my son his life and asked for my forgiveness, I immediately granted you that forgiving love from my heart. I can only hope you believe me and will accept my forgiveness.
But this is not all I have to say to you. I want to make you an offer -- I want you to become my adopted child. You see, my Son who died was my only child, and I now want to share my life with you and leave my riches to you. This may not make sense to you or anyone else, but I believe you are worth the offer. I have arranged matters so that if you will receive my offer of forgiveness, not only will you be pardoned for your crime, but you also will be set free from your imprisonment, and your sentence of death will be dismissed. At that point, you will become my adopted child and heir to all my riches.
I realize this is a risky offer for me to make to you - you might be tempted to reject my offer completely -- but I make it to you without reservation.
Also, I realize it may seem foolish to make such an offer to one who cost my son his life, but I now have a great love and an unchangeable forgiveness in my heart for you.
Finally, you may be concerned that once you accept my offer you may do something to cause you to be denied your rights as an heir to my wealth. Nothing could be further from the truth. If I can forgive you for your part in my son's death, I can forgive you for anything. I know you never will be perfect, but you do not have to be perfect to receive my offer. Besides, I believe that once you have accepted my offer and begin to experience the riches that will come to you from me, that your primary (though not always) response will be gratitude and loyalty.
Some would call me foolish for my offer to you, but I wish for you to call me your Father.
Sincerely,
God.
The sound of Martha's voice on the other end of the telephone always brought a smile to Pastor Jim's face. She was not only one of the oldest members of the congregation, but one of the most faithful. Aunt Martie, as all of the children called her, just seemed to ooze faith, hope, and love wherever she went. This time, however, there seemed to be an unusual tone to her words.
"Preacher, could you stop by this afternoon? I need to talk with you. "Of course, I'll be there around three. Is that OK?"
It didn't take long for Jim to discover the reason for what he had only sensed in her voice before. As they sat facing each other in the quiet of her small living room, Martha shared the news that her doctor had just discovered a previously undetected tumor.
"He says I probably have six months to live". Martha's words were naturally serious, yet there was a definite calm about her.
"I'm so sorry to...," but before Jim could finish, Martha interrupted. "Don't be. The Lord has been good. I have lived a long life. I'm ready to go. You know that. "I know," Jim whispered with a reassuring nod. "But I do want to talk with you about my funeral. I have been thinking about it, and there are things that I know I want."
The two talked quietly for a long time. They talked about Martha's favorite hymns, the passages of Scripture that had meant so much to her through the years, and the many memories they shared from the five years Jim had been with Central Church.
When it seemed that they had covered just about everything, Aunt Martie paused, looked up at Jim with a twinkle in her eye, and then added, "One more thing, Preacher... When they bury me, I want my old Bible in one hand and a fork in the other".
"A fork?" Jim was sure he had heard everything, but this caught him by surprise. "Why do you want to be buried with a fork?"
"I have been thinking about all of the church dinners and banquets that I attended through the years," she explained. "I couldn't begin to count them all, but one thing sticks in my mind... At those really nice get togethers, when the meal was almost finished, a server or maybe the hostess would come by to collect the dirty dishes. I can hear the words now. Sometimes, at the best ones, somebody would lean over my shoulder and whisper, 'You can keep your fork.' And do you know what that meant? Dessert was coming! It didn't mean a cup of Jell-O or pudding or even a dish of ice cream. You don't need a fork for that. It meant the good stuff, like chocolate cake or cherry pie! When they told me I could keep my fork, I knew the best was yet to come!
That's exactly what I want people to talk about at my funeral.
Oh, they can talk about all the good times we had together. That would be nice... But when they walk by my casket and look at my pretty blue dress, I want them to turn to one another and say, 'Why the fork?' That's when I want you to tell them, that I kept my fork because the best is yet to come!"
Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter... flying along in V
formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By
flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range, than if each
bird flew on its own.
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are
going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone... and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are.
When the head goose gets tired it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs...with people or with geese flying south.
Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What do we say when we honk from behind?
Finally...and this is important...when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.
If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had
admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father
could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day
approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.
Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his
private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and
told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift
box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found
a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.
Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said, "with all your money you give
me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a
beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and
thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation
day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his
father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed
to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his
heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the
still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the
Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse,
Matt.7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?"
As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a
tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had
desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words, PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we
expected?
God's Embroidery
Author Unknown
When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing.
She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat.
She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."
I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?" The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."
Grave Cloths
by Pat Worrell
Were you there that day? What a day for celebration and rejoicing! What a day for dancing in the streets! It surely didn't start out that way and I am quite sure no one suspected what was going to happen. You know, I had never seen him weep before though I followed him when and where I could. I would go off for days at a time and just study him and listen to him. He exuded love to such an extent that I would feel lonely when I would have to go back to my business. It was almost like a part of me was missing and try as I might, I could find no solace until I followed him once again.
I'm sorry, when I think of him my thoughts at times seem to drift off. That day when he wept, it felt like a tearing in my soul, like something holy was separating from me. I have never experienced such compassion and such loss in my life. The air was alive and quick from that moment on, I knew something wonderful was about to happen. I was standing just a few feet behind him and a little off to his right. I couldn't see all of his expression but I had a grand view of what was about to happen.
He told them to take away the stone and they started to do as he asked but Martha, not knowing what was to come said to Jesus that he would stinking by this time. At that moment I knew what was to come. I believe Martha thought that Jesus wanted one last look at his friend and like most of us, she was concerned about appearances. Jesus said, didn't I tell you that if you would believe you would see the Glory of God? They took away the stone and Jesus prayed. He thanked the Father that he had already heard him and then with a voice that thundered as it rolled off into the distant hills he said, "LAZARUS, COME FORTH!"
I am not sure just what I expected next but I was taken aback when Lazarus came hopping out of the grave. I guess you would think an angelic being would float him out and gently set him down, but I tell you he was hopping. I could clearly see Mary and Martha's look of astonishment and I glanced at the friends of the Pharisees and saw the twisted look of hate on their faces. The air was still quick but a sweetness of new life had been added to it. I remember feeling it as it brushed by my face, I think that breeze must have found awe etched on my features as it lightly caressed my cheeks. So there I was awe struck and Lazarus bound hand and foot hopping along the best he could and Jesus turned my way for an instant. I saw pure satisfaction and joy on his face. He told them to loose Lazarus and let him go and they did. He looked new to me. I think the reason he did was because I was still thinking of him as dead and here he was fresh, healed and alive. The celebration that day lasted well into the night. Jesus taught for many hours about believing God for things and in that atmosphere we really absorbed his every word.
I watched Lazarus and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He was filled with joy but I kept thinking there must be a lot more going on than I could tell. My mind drifted for a while as I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be dead and then suddenly alive. Jesus lightly touched my shoulder and said, brother it is just like when you are with me. It is that feeling of being whole again. Jesus was always doing things like that, touching your innermost thoughts. It created such a feeling of intimacy, such a completeness and a longing in my heart for more. You do know what I mean, don't you?
I think about that day often now and what stands out in my mind the most is the picture of Lazarus hopping along wrapped in grave cloths. You see, I can see parallels in the church and that picture that is so fresh in my mind. The church is slipping into the mind of man instead of the mind of Christ. It is binding itself up with unbelief and religion and it has to a large extent quit teaching the Gospels. I hear more and more conversations where Christians are quoting man and what man thinks instead of what Jesus said and taught. For one who walked with the Lord for those years it is very disheartening. Oh, they are very careful to use scripture but they do so with no understanding and having had the revelation knowledge that Jesus had taught, they quote him not at all. Grave cloths that will surely bind and still the spirit until unbelief is all that is left.
This has renewed my effort to dig into my notes and study what the master said and renew my resolve to do the works he did. What a mighty awesome Spirit he was! I remember days in the meadow would drift by seemingly as though they were hours as he poured out his soul to us. I know you have heard about the loaves and fishes but friend, you don't know the half of it. Moonlit nights and warm breezes and his tender voice teaching and capturing our hearts. He has such passion and he so desired that we would know Him who had sent him. He so desired that we would learn to heal the sick. Did you ever see his face as he healed the sick? It had the same look of satisfaction and joy on it as the day he loosed Lazarus from the grave cloths.
I recall one night as he was teaching on the beach and all five thousand of us decided to go for a swim. You know, I have talked to many who were there that night and each of them said that it was like Jesus spent the night with them that night. I felt the same way, he did have the ability to make everyone feel loved and appreciated. He was such a natural swimmer it was almost like he could glide across on top of the water. It really gave him such delight to race with us and to play with us, I suspect that he let me win our race that night.
In the years that I walked with him the only thing that ever got him upset was grave cloths. He would rise up and rebuke religion and you could see that passion flow out of him when the doctors of the law tried to trap him. It was not a personal thing but he did despise the spirit behind those men. He taught about principalities and powers but I think few understood that one of the sharpest swords the enemy has is unbelief. Oh, they hide it in all kinds of fancy teachings and use flowing words of man's wisdom but friend, unbelief is unbelief. Grave cloths bind and we need to be loosed from them. The time for hopping around in the dark is long past. We have the light of Jesus and we have his actions to be our guide.
Well, I have given you enough to chew on for now, my friend. Keep this in mind though, when someone starts quoting any man and ignoring Jesus you are dealing with a spirit that will soon bind you and render you powerless. Soon you will be just hopping around in the dark. Don't fall for the wiles of the enemy, stand up and rebuke that spirit in the name of Jesus. Jesus said come out from among them and he wasn't only talking about sinners but also about doubters, too. Throw off that yoke of oppression and deception and soar free forever with the Lord. I may write you again for I have many wonderful stories of the Master to tell you about. Until then walk in his joy and his power.
A boy went into a pet shop, looking for a puppy. The store owner showed him a litter in a box. The boy looked at the puppies. He picked each one up, examined it, and put it back into the box. A few minutes later, he walk back to the owner and said, "I picked one out. How much will it cost?" The man gave him a price, and the boy promised to be back in a few days with the money.
"Don't take too long," the owner cautioned. "Puppies like these sell quickly." The boy turned and smiled knowingly, "I'm not worried," he said. "Mine will still be here." The boy went to work - weeding, washing windows, cleaning yards. He worked hard and saved his money.
When he had enough for the puppy, he returned to the store. He walk up to the counter and laid down a pocketful of wadded bills. The store owner sorted and counted the cash. After verifying the amount, he smiled at the boy and said, "All right, son, you can get
your puppy." The boy reached into the back of the box, pulled out a skinny dog with a limp leg, and started to leave. The owner stopped him.
"Don't take that puppy," he objected. "He's crippled. He can't play. He'll never run with you. He can't fetch. Get one of the healthy pups." "No thank you sir," the boy replied. "This is exactly the kind of dog I've been looking for."
As the boy turned to leave, the store owner started to speak but remain silent. Suddenly he understood. For extending from the bottom of the boy's trousers was a brace - a brace for his crippled leg.
Why did the boy want the dog? Because he knew how it felt. And he knew it was special.
What did Jesus know that enabled him to do what he did? He knew how the people felt, and he knew that they were special. Jesus knows how you feel. You're under the gun at work? Jesus knows how you feel. You've got more to do than humanly possible? So did he. You got children who make extra demand of your life? Jesus knows what that is like.
People take more from you than they give? Jesus understands. People seem to take advantage of you? He knows.
You are precious to him. So precious that he became like you so that you would come to him. When you struggle, he listens. When you yearn, he responds. When you question, he hears He has been there. And like the little boy, he paid a great price to take you home !
H.E.A.R.T. Systems
author unknown
H.E.A.R.T. Systems Software Company
Yet another customer service phone call...
Service (CS) Rep: Hello, you have reached the H.E.A.R.T. Software Company help
desk. How may I help you?
Customer: I just received your latest program, LOVEv4.0...you know....the freeware.
I don't understand it. Can tell me how to install it?
CS Rep: Sure thing, ma'am. Do you have the installation disk and instructions with you?
Customer: Yes, I do, but first can you tell me what the program does?
CS Rep: Sure thing ma'am. L.O.V.E. is a unique program; there is none other like it
in the world. L.O.V.E. attaches to your operating system and runs silently in the background. You will never see
L.O.V.E. on your monitor or your toolbar, but you will notice its affect on every application you may have. It
makes the good programs run smoother and greatly restricts and/or deletes the bad ones.
Customer: Wow! That sounds great. How does L.O.V.E. make my machine run smoother?
CS Rep: Well, good, sound files, like compliment.wav, encouragement.wav, and kindword.wav
will play frequently. Also, forgiveness.exe will be invoked every time there is an external violation, including
the ever-popular syntax errors. Also, all those aggravating errors that say "unable to connect" will
be avoided. L.O.V.E. allows for a smooth connection with external devices, regardless of what country it is manufactured
in, the brand name, or the age of the model.
Customer: That's exactly what I need, my machine has been isolated for too long. But
what about the bad programs?
CS Rep: Good question. L.O.V.E. searches your memory for programs like hate.com, bitterness.exe,
selfish.com, and spite.exe. These programs can't be entirely deleted off your hard drive, but L.O.V.E. overpowers
those programs. L.O.V.E. stops their commands from being executed and runs its own instructions. You will no longer
hear insult.wav and you wont be able to write with the fonts "badwords12" or
"harshness10".
Customer: That's a fantastic program you have. Are the upgrades free too?
CS Rep: They sure are, ma'am.
Customer: How do I get the upgrades?
CS Rep: That's easy. Once you have L.O.V.E. installed and running, it automatically
copies a module, or a piece of itself, to every external Hard drive E-mail And Remote Terminal (H.E.A.R.T.) that
it comes into contact with. In turn, those external devices run whatever version of L.O.V.E. they have and return
a module to your H.E.A.R.T. You will be upgraded with each and every module that you receive. But you have to remember,
to receive the upgrades you have to be running L.O.V.E. and you have to come into contact with other computers
while it is running.
Customer: I can do that. I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now.
What do I do first?
CS Rep: The first step is to open your H.E.A.R.T. Have you located your H.E.A.R.T.,
ma'am?
Customer: Yes, I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay
to install while they are running?
CS Rep: What programs are running, ma'am?
Customer: Let me see...I have pasthurt.exe, lowesteem.exe, grudge.exe, and resentment.com
running right now.
CS Rep: No problem. L.O.V.E. will automatically erase pasthurt.exe from your current
operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. L.O.V.E.
will eventually overwrite lowesteem.exe with a module of its own called highesteem.exe. However, you have to completely
turn off grudge.exe and resentment.com. Those programs prevent L.O.V.E. from being properly installed. Can you
turn those off, ma'am?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
CS Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke forgiveness.exe. Do this as many
times as necessary until grudge.exe and resentment.com have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, I'm done. L.O.V.E. has started installing itself automatically. Is that
normal?
CS Rep: Yes, it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the
life of your H.E.A.R.T. Do you see that message?
Customer: Yes, I do. Is it completely installed?
CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting
to other H.E.A.R.T.'s in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops...I have an error message already. What should I do?
CS Rep: What does the message say?
Customer: It says "error 412 - program not run on internal components". What
does that mean?
CS Rep: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the L.O.V.E. program
is set up to run on external H.E.A.R.T.'s but has not yet been run on your H.E.A.R.T. It is one of those complicated
programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to " L.O.V.E." your own machine before
it can " L.O.V.E." others.
Customer: So, what should I do?
CS Rep: Can you find the directory called "self-acceptance"?
Customer: Yes, I have it.
CS Rep: Excellent! You are getting good at this.
Customer: Thank you.
CS Rep: You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the "myheart"
directory: forgiveself.doc, selfesteem.txt, realizeworth.txt, and goodness.doc. The system will overwrite any conflicting
files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete selfcritic.exe from all directories and
then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My H.E.A.R.T. is filling up with really neat files. smile.mpg
is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that warmth.com, peace.exe, and contentment.com are copying themselves
all over my H.E.A.R.T.!
CS Rep: Then L.O.V.E. is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from
here. One more thing before I go...
Customer: Yes?
CS Rep: L.O.V.E. is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody
you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.
Customer: I will. Thank you for your help. Bye-bye.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is
not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
If you would like to receive this freeware, it is really easy, just ask Jesus to come into your heart and He will
make you brand new with the true love that only comes from Him.
The Hem of Jesus' Garment
Mark 5:22-34
One day a ruler of the people named Jairus came to Jesus and told him, "My little daughter is sick
and she is about to die. Please come to my house and pray for her so that she does not die."
Jesus agreed to go to Jairus' house to pray for the little dying girl. On the way to Jairus' house a great many
people crowded around Jesus, asking Him to touch them so that they might be healed of their sicknesses. Jesus had
become famous throughout the land of Judea because he healed sick people with His word and even raised the dead.
On the edges of the crowd on that hot day was a woman who had been sick and bleeding for eighteen years. She had
been to see many doctors who had taken much money for their treatment. Still she became ever sicker until she was
about to die. She had heard about Jesus and thought that if she could just get to Him she would be healed.
Nevertheless, Jesus was in the middle of a great crowd of yelling and pushing people who were trying to get to
Jesus for their own needs. According to the laws of the land it was illegal for a woman who was bleeding to allow
others to touch her. If they touched her they had to go through an elaborate cleansing process. If she pushed through
that crowd to get to Jesus it would be necessary for her to jostle against other people. How angry they would become
if she touched them.
She walked yearningly around the edge of the crowd. How she wished that She could get to jesus. Maybe this would
be her Only chance. Perhaps she would be too sick to come outside if she waited Any longer. The longer she watched
and listened to Jesus teach the more she became convinced that she would be healed if she Could touch him. Even
if she just could touch the Border of his robe she was sure that she would be healed of this terrible Sickness
that made her feel so weak and tired that She thought she soon would die. Suddenly she made up her mind to get
to Jesus no matter what other people thought. She got Down to her hands and knees and crawled through the crowd
of people on That dusty road. People pushed and stepped on Her hands. She refused to give up. She kept crawling
through the dust, Finally stretching out her hand toward the hem of Jesus' Robe. With trembling fingertips at last
she was able to touch the bottom Of the hem. Immediately she felt in her body that she Was healed.
"Who touched me,:" Jesus called out.
"What do you mean, who touched you," replied Jesus' followers. There are
people everywhere jostling and pushing against you. Many people are touching you"
"No, someone touched me with the hand of faith, for I felt power going from my body into another."
Trembling and afraid, the woman fell down at the feet of Jesus and said, "It was I who touched you, Master.
I have been sick and bleeding for eighteen years and I knew that if I just touched the hem of your garment I should
be healed. I have touched your garment, and now I am healed.!"
Jesus gazed at the woman with compassion and replied, "Daughter, your faith has made you whole. Go in peace
and be whole of your disease."
From that time the woman was completely healed and continued to praise and worship God for His goodness to her.
Jesus continued on to Dairus' house only to find that Dairus' daughter already had died. Jesus commanded everyone
to leave the room except for the parents of the dead little girl. Jesus then stretched out His hand and said, "Little
girl, arise."
Immediately the little girl's spirit returned to her body and she opened her eyes. She sat up in bed, brought back
from the dead and completely healed. Jesus had answered the prayers of Jairus.
Key Concepts:
1. God rewards people by answering their requests when they pray in faith
believing that He will answer their prayers.
2. God loves everyone and He does not like to see people sick.
3. Jesus came to take away our sins and sicknesses.
4. When we have a need we should not give up but should continue to pray and
believe until we receive the answer we need no matter how long it takes.
His Name Is John
author unknown
His name is John. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it,
jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four
years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very
bright. He became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative
church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure
how to go about it. One day John decides to go there. He walks in with no
shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started
and so John starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is
completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are looking a bit
uncomfortable, but no one says anything. John gets closer and closer and
closer to the pulpit and when he realizes there are no seats, he just
squats down right on the carpet. Although perfectly acceptable behavior at
a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this church
before!)
By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.
About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the
church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward John. Now the deacon is
in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, a three-piece suit, and a pocket
watch. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly.
He walks with a cane and as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is
saying to themselves, "You can't blame him for what he's going to do. How
can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some
college kid on the floor?"
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly
silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on
him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The people are thinking, "The
minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to
do." And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With
great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to John and worships
with him.
When the minister gains control he says, "What I'm about to preach, you
will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget."
Horse Of A Different Color
by Keith Kluksdahl
During one Christ-mas break from college, my friend Jeff and I enjoyed a long night at a wedding dance.
Wedding dances in small towns are a big deal. They are THE social event. People come as far as 100 miles to drink,
dance, and socialize.
Jeff and I had our share of fun and mischief. The next morning I awoke on a couch at Jeff's place. His Dad was
smiling at me, asking how my head felt. I moaned and said something about heading home.
"We'll take you home," he said. "But first, we've got a lot of work to do." He threw me a pair
of insulated coveralls and walked out of the room with a chuckle. I was a bit upset, but there wasn't much I could
do about it unless I wanted to walk 8 miles home in below zero weather.
My head did hurt. Jeff wasn't in much better shape. We picked at breakfast and resigned ourselves to the long day
ahead. At least the cold would have a numbing effect.
The first task was to vaccinate some calves. Cold was an understatement. The wind chill was somewhere in the 50
below zero range. Since Jeff's family is of medium height, the coveralls were nowhere near long enough and left
a fair amount of my legs covered only by my jeans and exposed to the elements. The sleeves also left a little to
be desired. On top of that, an ungrateful calf kicked me in my calf.
In the afternoon, we had to sort and move some cattle. The horse to which I was assigned had not been ridden in
a couple of years, and she was not excited about being ridden on this cold, cold day. It was a fight from the moment
I tried to saddle her. Climbing into the saddle on a horse that is not receptive to your presence is quite an adventure.
I finally got my rear in the saddle and we headed out to the field.
I fought with this horse the rest of the day. She would not obey my commands. Her uncooperative nature made her
almost useless in the task at hand. It was all I could do to keep her moving in the right direction, much less
do any real work.
The others were riding some fine horses. The horses knew their job and obeyed the riders commands without hesitation.
When it was time to work the bulls, the other horses did not need instruction. Each horse knew exactly what to
do and kept the rider and itself out of harms way when a bull decided to charge. It was an incredible example of
horse and rider working together. The rider was in charge, and the horse was eager to comply. The job was achieved
smoothly and effortlessly. The only thing that my horse and I agreed upon that day was that we didn't belong anywhere
near the bulls.
Looking back on that day, I can't help but think that I'm more like the mare that I had been riding than the quarter
horse that obeyed it's rider. When God calls, I'm prideful and stubborn, determined to do what I want. I'm a spirited,
wild stallion that must be broken before it can do any real work for its master. I often forget that my pride hinders
my relationship with God, and prevents me from taking on the otherwise difficult tasks that he would have me do.
Later that evening, Jeff, his Dad, and I went out for a steak dinner. Despite the pain in my leg, the headache,
and the bitter cold, it had turned out to be a day not to be forgotten. A day with close friends rarely is forgettable.
Little did I know that the real lesson would come years later.
Young men, in the same way, be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward
one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore,
under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:5-6)
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