Meeting God

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cupcakes, several cans of root beer and started on his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed the lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him. Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted. They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word. As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy arrived home his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, "What has made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." Before his mother could respond he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile in the world!" Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, "Mother, what made you so happy today?" She replied, "I ate cupcakes in the park with God." And before her son could reply, she added, "You know, he is much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime....Take no one for granted and embrace all equally with joy!

Unknown

KEEP YOUR FORK

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things "in order." she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she woud like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued, "I want to be buried with a fork in my hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor. The woman explained, "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part cause I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with a substance! So, I just want people to see me, there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork... the best is yet to come.'" The paster's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye.

He knew this would be the last time he would see her before death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of Heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible, and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind oh so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a friend even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you.

~Unknown

I paused outside the deli in my office building to let pass a rather
harried looking mother pushing a stroller loaded with a variety of shoulder
bags and a small little girl.

My mind was elsewhere and I never actually saw what caused it, but
halfway through this narrow doorway a wheel of the stroller caught on the
threshold and tipped the entire load forward. Caught off balance and a
little pre-occupied herself, this young lady lost her grip and the stroller
pitched forward, spilling the contents of several bags and one very
frightened brown haired child.

Instinct took over and as any father would do, my first reaction was
to lift this baby to my shoulder, pat her on the back and console her. I
couldn't get over how light she was or how strange it was that she didn't
look around for her mother. She just cried and stared directly at the wall
and never turned her head in any direction.

Despite her small stature, Angelica, as I would later learn her name
was, nearly choked me with her grip, as she frantically held onto my shirt
and neck. Never responding to my voice as my daughter had, Angelica
pressed her face into my hands as I stroked her hair and wiped the tears
from her wide green eyes.

It only took a second or two for her mother to free the stroller from
the doorway and race to my side, but Angelica would not let go of my
shoulder and hand so I told her mother to go ahead and get her things
together while I held the baby.

I had resumed my attempt at calming the baby when her mother turned
and said, "She can only hear you if you put her ear to your chest, she's
also deaf."

"Also?" I turned my head to stare into this beautiful little girls eyes, and
saw... nothing... no response... no reaction.

This frail, frightened child was blind and deaf, her only window to
the world was through touch.

I stroked her cheek and was given a hopeful smile through her tears, I
tickled her under the chin, she giggled and placed her head on my shoulder
and sighed. My heart was broken as could only think of my own two and a
half year old daughter, Christina. I thought of how often she fell asleep
to my wife and I singing to her or how often I catch her looking out of the
corner of her eye at me and laughing when I wink or make a face. Would she
ever know the joy and love in her home if she couldn't see or hear it?
Could I show her how much she means in my life just by touch alone?
How often had I said "I love you, Good night" without a hug or a kiss?

We all know how important touching can be, we all know the peace that
settles into your heart after a warm hug, but could any of us convey
complex emotions like sadness, joy, sympathy or love through touch alone?

Did this little girl know that I was a stranger, someone she had never
been near before? Did she even have a concept of different people at all?

Could she tell her mother apart from any other woman?
And then all these questions where answered in one quick second. Her
mother took her from me and nuzzled her neck and hugged her.
The look on that child's face answered all and then some.
Of course she could.

I stood there watching Angelica being buckled back into her seat and
tried my best not to cry in the hallway of my office. I pray that this
mother can somehow get through to her little girl over the only bridge
available, and I pray that I will never have to try.
I do know one thing though -- I'm going home tonight and practice.

Funny how a $100 "looks" so big when you take it to church, but so
small when you take it to the mall.
Funny how long it takes to serve God for an hour, but how quickly a
team plays 60 minutes of basketball.
Funny how long a couple of hours spent at church are, but how short
they are when watching a movie.
Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't
have difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.
Funny how we get thrilled when a baseball game goes into extra
innings, but we complain when a sermon is longer than the regular time.
Funny how hard it is to read a chapter in the Bible, but how easy it
is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.
Funny how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but
scramble to get a back seat at church services.
Funny how we need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a church event
into our schedule, but can adjust our schedule for other events at the
last moment.
Funny how hard it is for people to learn a simple gospel well enough
to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand
and repeat gossip.
Funny how we believe what the newspaper say, but question what the
Bible says.
Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to
believe, or think, or say, or do anything.
Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they
spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the
Lord, people think twice about sharing.
FUNNY, ISN'T IT ?
Are you laughing?
Are you thinking?
Spread the Word and give thanks to the Lord for He is good!!!
Funny isn't it when you go to forward this message how many on your
list are not receiving it because you're not sure they believe in anything?
Funny? ......... Sad!
God Bless.............................................

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