Morals Remembered - Second Page
Soul Food
Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he
could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great.
Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream
for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark,
"That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray.
Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never!".
Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God
mad at me?"
As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was
certainly not mad at him. An elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked
at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."
"Really?" my son asked.
"Cross my heart." Then in a theatrical whisper he added indicating the woman
whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice
cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."
Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at
his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.
He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of
the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is
good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already."
The Soldier
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought
in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming
home, but I've got a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt pretty
badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He
has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a
handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we
can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just
come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from
him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco
police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The
police believed it was suicide.
The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city
morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their
horror they also discovered something they didn't know. Their son had only one
arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who
are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who
inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from
people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are, Thankfully, there's
someone who, won't treat us that way.
Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the
forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God
will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us
all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!
Why Jesus Came
There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let
others know how he felt about religion. His wife, however, did believe, and she
raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his
disparaging comments.
One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve
service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he
refused. "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come
to Earth as a man? That's ridiculous!" So she and the children left, and he
stayed home. A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a
blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm.
He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening.
Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He
looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a
little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window.
In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had
been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and
couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or
shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles,
blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a
great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could
spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened
the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn
and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to
notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.
The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and
they moved farther away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke
it up, and made a breadcrumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch
on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them
toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction
except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where
they would be warm and safe.
"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only
place where they can survive the storm?" He thought for a moment and realized
that they just wouldn't follow a human.
"If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud.
Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it
in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then
released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn--and
one by one the other geese followed it to safety. He stood silently for a moment
as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind:
"If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he
had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's
ridiculous!" Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like
the geese--blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could
show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized.
As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered
this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about, why
Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm.
He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:
"Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!"
--Author unknown
Wrinkle In My Hood
We live in a very quiet neighborhood. Late one evening I was listening to some
music when I heard a loud crash on the street. It took me a while to realize
what had happened.
Earlier that evening my wife wanted me to go to the store to get some soft
drinks. It seemed like this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter get
in a little practice driving. I sent her to the store with her older brother
riding shotgun. She took my truck. I settled back to enjoy the music.
At dinner earlier that evening my oldest son was speaking admiringly of the
truck. It is a little four-wheel drive Ford Explorer and the kids knew I enjoyed
having it. It is the nicest car I have ever owned. I said, "Guys, my heart is
not set on that car. I like it but it is just rusting metal and it is a
depreciating item. It won't last forever. "Never set your heart on anything that
is temporary."
I had no idea how prophetic my advice was that night. The thud on the street was
followed by a commotion upstairs and then the whole family pouring down the
steps led by thirteen year old Chuck who shouted, "Dad, Dad, Holly wrecked your
car."
My heart sank and my mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts. Was anyone
hurt? Who else was involved? I ran to the door with a racing heart and in that
instant a message came clearly to my spirit like a voice in my heart:
"Here is your chance. You have always looked for ways to show Holly that she is
precious to you. Here is a unique opportunity to show her what you really love.
How you react now is something that she will probably never forget."
To my surprise the accident had not occurred on the street, but right in my own
driveway. And my fears about damage to the property of other people melted when
I saw that the collision was with our other car, the family van. In her
inexperience Holly had confused the brakes and accelerator. In an instant both
of my cars were wrecked. Holly was unhurt physically but when I reached her she
was crying softly and saying over and over again, "Oh, Dad, I'm sorry, I'm sorry
Dad, I know how much you love this car." I wrapped her in my arms and she cried
and my heart melted for her.
Later that week an adult friend stopped by and asked what happened to my truck.
I swore her to secrecy and then told her what happened. Her eyes moistened and
she said, "That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my Dad's car and
ran into a log that had fallen across the road. I was able to drive the car
home, but it was totaled. When I got home my Dad dragged me from the car,
knocked me to the ground and began to kick me." Over forty years later the pain
of that rejection still moved her to tears. It was a deep wound on her soul.
I remembered how tender-hearted Holly had been the night she wrecked the car and
how vulnerable she was at that moment and I breathed a prayer of thanks to God
for His gentle reminder that night. Someday years from now when Holly thinks
back on her life and she remembers me I want her to know that I loved her a
thousand times more than all my earthly possessions put together.
I repaired the van, but the wrinkle in the hood of my truck is still there
today. Every day it reminds me of the really priceless things in my life. I
don't mind having damage to my truck, but I don't want to be responsible for
damage to my daughter's heart.
-- Ken Pierpont
The Blood
One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart.
She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young
woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But,
the change in her was evident.
As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually
became involved in the ministry, teaching young children.
It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and
heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding
plans. This is when the problems began.
You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past
such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son. The church began to argue and
fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made
their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out
of hand.
The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about
her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood to speak. He could not bear
the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was
this:
"My fiancée's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the
ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of
Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?" The whole church began to
weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon
against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the
Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the
other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the
case, then we are all in a lot of trouble.
The Old Tattered Man
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high
chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik
squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the
highchair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a
toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw
the source of his merriment.
It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants
were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes.
His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were
too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a
road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His
hands waved and flapped on loose wrists.
"Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and
answer, "Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and
then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.
Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty
cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I
were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running
through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated
with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door.
My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The
old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here
before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned
my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I
did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up"
position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to
the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated
their love relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission
laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder.
The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands
full of grime, pain, and hard labor-gently, so gently, cradled my baby's bottom
and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a
time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a
moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm
commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will,"
from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly,
longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God
bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."
"I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the
car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and
why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's
love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no
judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was
a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God
asking-"Are you willing to share your son for a moment?" when He shared His for
all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the
Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."
The Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself
and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's
wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many
loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything
about getting the big stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the
boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the
side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road
where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from
the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder
from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every
obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.
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