A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 ~Words of FAITH~

I just hadddddd to share this one!!!

DADDY'S EMPTY CHAIR ~

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father.

When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows.

An empty chair sat beside his bed.

The minister assumed that the old fellow had been
informed of his visit.

"I guess you were expecting me, he said.

'No, who are you?" said the father.

The minister told him his name
and then remarked,

"I saw the empty chair and I figured
you knew I was going to show up,"

"Oh yeah, the chair,"
said the bedridden man.

"Would you mind closing the door?"

Puzzled, the minister shut the door.

"I have never told anyone this,
not even my daughter," said the man.

"But all of my life I have never known how to pray.

At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer,

but it went right over my head."

I abandoned any attempt at prayer,"

the old man continued,
"until one day four years ago,

my best friend said to me,

"Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter

of having a conversation with Jesus.

Here is what I suggest."

"Sit down in a chair;

place an empty chair in front of you,

and in faith see Jesus on the chair.

It's not spooky because he promised,

'I will be with you always'.

"Then just speak to him in the same way

you're doing with me right now."

"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it

a couple of hours every day.

I'm careful though

If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair,
she'd either have a nervous breakdown
or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story
and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey.

Then he prayed with him, anointed him
with oil, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called
to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.

Did he die in peace?" he asked.

Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock,
he called me over to his bedside,
told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek.

When I got back from the store an hour later,
I found him dead.

But there was something strange about his death.

Apparently, just before Daddy died,
he leaned over and rested his head
on the chair beside the bed.

What do you make of that?"

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said,
"I wish we could all go like that."

Just send this to four people or more,
and do not break this, please.

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

I asked God for water,
He gave me an ocean.


I asked God for a flower,
He gave me a garden.


I asked God for a friend,
He gave me all of YOU...

If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.


Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.

Quiet moments, worship God.

Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God.

Weezie you have done it again, seems like every time l lose my faith in god, you give me reason to believe again, yes l know that was a story, but l can still imagine something like that happening. lt was a beautiful rendition, and may l say, something that could have actually happened
Doreen

I printed this part out,
And keep it in some of the places I frequent most, like the washer and dryer , the dishwasher :p , the stove
The BILL area and my desk

Helps me remember what I should do!!!

Weezie

Thank you Weezie Its a very beautiful story

G-Mom

thank you weezie for the inspiration........and the beautiful story!! i have a few empty chairs in my house and may never look at them the same anymore........thank you!!
Linda

from a forward e-mail.

Glass of milk.

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in
specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to he room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words.....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk"

Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

***So true Doreen,
but that's why it's so nice to repeat the good ones!!! Keep the FAITH!!

***And Papito, Thanks for Sharing that one!!
Liked it Very Much!
It's so true, the one you're kind to today, maybe the person you soooooo very much need tomorrow!!!

Weezie

Subject:Fwd: this will bring a tear to your eye

This was sent to me by a lovely friend,
so I pass it on to you:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain almost a month. The crops were dying.
Cows had stopped giving milk.
The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt.

Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off.
If we didn't see some rain soon...we would lose everything.

It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn't walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose.
I could only see his back.

He was obviously walking with a great effort...trying to be as still as possible.

Minutes after he disappeared into the woods,
he came running out again, toward the house.
I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that
whatever task he had been doing was completed.

Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walk carefully to the woods, run back to the house. Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey
(being very careful not to be seen...as he was obviously doing important work and didn't need his Mommy checking up on him).

He was cupping both hands in front of him as
he walked, being very careful not to spill the water he held in them ... maybe two or three
tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods.

Branches and thorns slapped his little face, but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose.

As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site. Several large deer loomed in
front of him. Billy walked right up to them.
I almost screamed for him to get away.
A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him...he didn't even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat
exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.

When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to
run back to the house and I hid behind a tree.
I followed him back to the house to a spigot to
which we had shut off the water.
Billy opened it all the way up and a small
trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip, drip slowly fill up his makeshift "cup," as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me:
The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn't ask me to help him.

It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him
His little eyes just filled with tears.
"I'm not wasting," was all he said.

As he began his walk, I joined him...with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were
suddenly joined by other drops...and more drops...and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.

Some will probably say that this was all just
a huge coincidence. That miracles don't really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime.
And I can't argue with that...
I'm not going to try. All I can say is that
the rain that came that day saved our farm...
just like the actions of one little boy
saved another.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THAT'S GOD
Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone you care for...THAT'S GOD.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to...
THAT'S GOD...He wants you to talk to Him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen in a long time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone
call from them...THAT'S GOD... there is no such thing as coincidence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or
a coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you wanted, but couldn't afford... THAT'S GOD...He knows the desires of your heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever been in a situation and you
had no clue how it is going to get better,
but now you look back on it...
THAT'S GOD...He passes us through
tribulation to see a brighter day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS E-MAIL WAS ACCIDENTALLY SENT TO YOU?

NOPE!

I was thinking of You! Please pass this along and share the Power of God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In all that we do, and for all that we have, we should give HIM thanks and praise

This message was sent to me by a close friend,
I am sending it on to you.
Please pass it on to all of your good friends too.

NOW THAT'S GOD!!!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't tell GOD how big your storm is...tell the storm how big your GOD is!

Those were wonderful!!

G-Mom

Whispers

The man whispered, "God, speak to me"
and a meadowlark sang.


But, the man did not hear.

So the man yelled, "God, speak to me"
and the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said,
"God let me see you."
And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted,
"God show me a miracle."
And, a life was born.

But, the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair,
"Touch me God, and let me know you are here."


Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But, the man brushed the butterfly away .

and walked on.

I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted...even in our electronic age


So I would like to add one more:

The man cried,
"God, I need your help!"
And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.

But, the man deleted it and continued crying

Don't miss out on a blessing
because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

My instructions were to send this to people that I wanted God to bless


And I picked you. Won't you please pass this to people you want to be blessed.

Expect the unexpected...
Have A Happy Day!


***This had some really great pictures of a little birdie in a nest and a butterfly and some clouds, but they didn't copy well, it was a nice thing to send on to other's for words of encouragement...

Weezie

another forward e-mail.

Philosophy 101

A professor stood before his Philosophy 101 class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So
the professor then picked up a box off pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course,
the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was
full. The students responded with a unanimous--yes.

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and
proceeded to pour the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the
empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things your family, your partner, your health, your children, your
friends, your favorite passions--things that if everything else was lost and
only they remained, your life would still be full."

"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,
your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff. If you put the sand
into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the
golf balls. The same goes
for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you
will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention
to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. Play
another 18. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a
dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first and the
things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of
beers."

Had to post this link here!!!

Jim C\'s Favorite Prayers~Poems~Meditations

Alot of insprirational words and awesome picture with them..
Printable up for around your desk area!!!

Weezie

P/S This one has a bit of levity in it!!!
Butt Prints In The Sand

ahhhh....crap,y'all are killin' me.I'm a wanna be pagan.But something else keeps knockin'.

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/

> A Small tree Every one needs one
>
> I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had
just
> finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour
of
> work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to
> start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
>
> On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the
> front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the
> branches with both hands.
> When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned
> face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave
> his wife a kiss.
>
> Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got
> the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
>
> "Oh! That's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having
> troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong
> in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the
> tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of
> them. Then in the morning I pick them up again."
>
> "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em
up,
> there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

AMen
Michelle<><

God\'s Wings

Check this one out!!!!

Very soppy. Don't read this at work if you are the kind of person to shed a tear.
Hi everyone, hope you are enjoying the roses of life.
Here's to T-bone steaks, yellow roses and friendship.
READ THIS!!!!
and then reread it.
Especially the last part...

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 7 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief,
I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit.
I watched as she picked up a large package of
T-bones, dropped them in her basket ... hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. "My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know."I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.
"My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her.
Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice.
"Buy him the steaks". And cherish every moment you have together."

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away. I turned and pushed my cart across the
length of the store to the dairy products.
There I stood, trying to decide which size milk
I should buy. A quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream.
If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.
I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the
front.
I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me.
In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile I had ever seen.
I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes
holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. "These are for you," she said and placed three beautiful long
stemmed yellow roses in my arms. "When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for." She leaned over and placed a gentle
kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as
she walked away as tears clouded my vision.

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the
answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone.

Oh, you haven't forgotten me, have you?
I whispered, with tears in my eyes.
He was still with me, and she was his angel.

Every day be thankful for what you have and who you are.

This is a simple request. If you appreciate life, send this to your friends, including the person that sent it to you.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings.
Thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible.
Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising. Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, and my children are so loud.

Thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced.
Thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous.
Thank you Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest. Thank you, Lord, for life.


A friend is someone to treasure.
For friendship is a gift.
A friend is someone who fills our lives with Beauty, Joy and Grace and makes the world
we live in a better and happier place.

YOU ARE MY FRIEND!

God bless you and yours.

Now send this to every friend you have and don't forget me!

A long time family friends' daughter passed away
over the weekend, and her mom is just beside herself with grief.... To loose a one so suddenly.

So, go home and kiss your little one's, and your big one's too!! And be forever thankful they are here!!! And give Thanks no matter your circumstances!

Weezie
Please say a prayer for Marqueret and her mother Beverly!!!

I am sitting here crying like a big baby!

Thanks, Weez!

Oh for goodness sake. Me too. The bird story got me, and after that, I was a goner.

THE TABLECLOTH

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities.

When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc., and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory
colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45
minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison.. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.


True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid



Who says God does not work in mysterious ways.


I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today. To guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares you know He will see us through. So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best.. Just remember I'm here praying and God will do the rest.


Pass this on to those you want God to bless, and don't forget to send it back to the one who asked God to bless you first.

All wonderful, wonderful stories.

These are wonderful, heart warming stories - thanks for starting the thread, Weezie!

This one is for all you animal lovers out there. The story is copywritten, so I can only post the link, but it's worth checking out!

The Meaning of MUTT

Thanks for posting this one Weezie...I can hardly type for !

From an email:

A young university student, was home for the summer. She had gone to visit some friends one evening and time passed quickly as each shared thier various experiences of the past year.

She ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone. She wasn't afraid because it was a small town and she lived only a few blocks away.

As she walked along under the tall elm trees, Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger. When she reached the alley, which was a short cut to her house, she decided to take it. However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her.

She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God's protection. Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped around
her, she felt as though someone was walking with her.

When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.

The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been
there.

Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep. Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station. She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story.

The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him. She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before. When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed.

The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her.

She asked if they would ask the man one question. Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her. When the policeman asked him, he answered,

"Because she wasn't alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her."

Moral of the story.. Don't underestimate the power of Prayer!

Gives ya goose bumps doesn't it!

Our "Family"
By Linda Snelson
My daughter Gina was in Mrs. Melton's fourth-grade class. After only a month in school, she began to come home on a regular basis asking for pencils, crayons, paper, etc. At first I just dutifully provided whatever she needed, never questioning her.
After ongoing requests for items that should have easily lasted a mere six weeks of fourth grade, I became concerned and asked her, "Gina, what are you doing with your school supplies?" She would always respond with an answer that satisfied me.
One day, after supplying the same thing only a week earlier, I became irritated with her pleading for more and sternly asked her once more, "Gina! What is going on with your school supplies?" Knowing her excuses would no longer work, she bent her head and began to cry. I lifted her tiny chin and looked into those big brown eyes, filled now with tears. "What?! What is wrong?" My mind was racing with all sorts of ideas. Had she been bullied by another child? Was she giving her supplies to him or her to keep from being hurt, or to gain their approval? I couldn't imagine what was going on, but I knew it was something serious for her to cry. I waited for what seemed like an eternity for her to answer.
"Mom," she began, "there is a boy in my class; he doesn't have any of the supplies he needs to do his work. The other kids make fun of him because his papers are messy and he only has two crayons to color with. I have been putting the new supplies you bought me in his desk before the others come in, so he doesn't know it's me. Please don't get mad at me, Mom. I didn't mean to tell you a lie, but I didn't want anyone to know it was me."
My heart sank as I stood there in disbelief. She had taken on the role of an adult and tried to hide it like a child. I knelt down and hugged her to me, not wanting her to see my own tears. When I pulled myself together, I stood up and said, "Gina, I would never get mad at you for wanting to help someone, but why didn't you just come and tell me?" I didn't have to wait for her to answer.
The next day I visited Mrs. Melton. I told her what Gina had said. She knew John's situation all too well. The oldest of four boys, their parents had just moved here and when the school presented them with the school supply list for all four grades they were overwhelmed. When the boys came to school the next week, they barely had the necessities – a few sheets of paper and a pencil each.
I asked Mrs. Melton for the list from all four grades and told her I would take care of it the next day. She smiled and gave me the lists.
The next day, we brought the supplies in and gave them to the office with instructions to give them to the boys.
As Christmas neared, the thought of John, his brothers and family weighed heavily on my mind. What would they do? Surely they would not have money for gifts.
I asked Mrs. Melton if she could get me their address. At first she refused, reminding me that there was a policy that protected the privacy of the students, but because she knew me from my work at the school and involvement on the PTA board, she slipped a piece of paper into my hand and whispered, "Don't tell anyone I gave it to you."
When my family began to set the stage for our traditional Christmas Eve, which was usually held at my house, I simply told them all that my husband, the kids and I did not want gifts, but instead we would prefer to have groceries and gifts for our "family."
As the girls and I shopped throughout the holiday season, they delighted in picking things out for the four boys. Gina was especially interested in things for John.
Christmas Eve came and my family began to arrive. Each of them had bags of food and gifts wrapped for the children. My living room was full and the excitement was contagious.
Finally at 9:00 we decided it was time to take our treasures to them. My brothers, dad, uncles and nephews loaded up their trucks and set out for the apartment complex address that Mrs. Melton gave us.
They knocked on the door and a little boy appeared. They asked for his mother or dad and he ran away. The guys waited until a young man, hardly more than a child himself, came to the door. He looked at the men standing there, with arms full of gifts and bags full of groceries, and couldn't say a word. The men pushed past him and went straight to the kitchen counter to set the bags down.
There was no furniture. It was an empty one-bedroom apartment with a few blankets on the floor and a small TV where they obviously spent their time. A Christmas tree was the result of the kids bringing in a bush they had found in the field behind the complex. A few paper decorations made in their classrooms made it look like a real Christmas tree. Nothing was underneath.
The boys and their parents stood without speaking as the men sat down bag after bag. They finally asked who had sent them, how did they know them and so on. But the men just left them with shouts of "Merry Christmas!"
When the guys got back to my house they didn't say a word. They couldn't.
To break the silence, my aunt stood up and began to sing "Silent Night," and we all joined in.
When school resumed, Gina came home daily telling of John's new clothes and how the other children now played with him and treated him like the rest of the children.
She never told a soul at school about what we did, but every Christmas since that one she will say to me, "Mom, I wonder what happened to John and his family?" While I'm not quite sure of the answer, I'd like to think that John and his family were somehow helped by my daughter's gift.

An Early Christmas Gift

This is a true story that happened to a friend of mine – I have her permission to share it with all of you.

A friend of mine had something lovely happen today - an early Christmas gift. A couple of days ago she impulsively went into a store that a local artist/artisan has rented for the Christmas season. For months my friend been searching for an appropriate box in which to send some of her late husband’s remains to Ireland, his homeland, but hasn't liked anything she’s seen.

In this store were some hand carved small cedar boxes - she picked one up that was calling to her; it was carved with beautiful Celtic knot work designs and the inscription in Gaelic, "A Thousand Welcomes" - a phrase that had significance to her and her husband. As soon as she saw the box, she knew that THIS was the box - it was perfect! Unfortunately, she didn't have the money to buy it so she asked the artist's husband, who was running the store, if she could put a small deposit on it and purchase it at a later date. She was a bit choked up so explained the box's purpose - he said it wasn't a problem and if she couldn't pick it up before the 24th when they close the temporary store, it would be waiting for her at their permanent studio.

Then today the artist's husband left a message on her voice mail that he had discussed it with his wife and she would like my friend to have the box as a gift!

My friend has been having a difficult time since her husband’s death and I know how much this generosity of strangers means to her, so when she told me what had happened, I found myself bawling along with her!

I read this last night and didn't reply because I was crying.

Cindy

I THINK XMAS BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN EVERYONE. LOVELY STORY
PITY PEOPLE DO NOT ACT THE SAME ALL YEAR DOREENXX.

How true, Doreen.

A long time ago (1965) we lived in Virginia because my dad was in the Navy. My mom worked part-time as a waitress before Christmas to be able to buy four kids some Christmas presents. It had been a long time since we'd been to Kentucky, and my mom missed her family so bad. She was talking to a customer one night that she was waiting on, and the woman noticed her southern accent and asked her where she was from. Mom told her she was from Kentucky, and in the course of the conversation she said it had been a long time since she'd been able to visit her family in Ky. because we never had any extra money for the trip. When the woman left, mom found a fifty dollar bill under her plate, with a note saying that she wanted my mom to be able to go home for Christmas. (50 dollars was a lot of money back then!)

We packed our presents into the car and opened them in Kentucky!

The kindness of strangers.......

That's so lovely! Angels come in all guises

From an email:
The Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time............

Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in
traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to
addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring
this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive; show patience, empathy and love.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Well said.

Thanks, Cricket...my friend!


Cindy

I just sent that to some of my friends...Thanks Cricket

G-Mom

Thank you, indeed, Cricket! That is an excellent prayer.

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Weezie