Words of Thought and Love

August 9, 2008

There is a story about a man who had a huge boulder in his front yard. He grew weary of this big, unattractive stone in the center of his lawn, so he decided to take advantage of it and turn it into an object of art. He went to work on it with hammer and chisel, and chipped away at the huge boulder until it became a beautiful stone elephant. When he finished, it was gorgeous, breath-taking.

 

A neighbor asked, “How did you ever carve such a marvelous likeness of an elephant?”

 

The man answered, “I just chipped away everything that didn’t look like an elephant!”

 

If you have anything in your life right now that doesn’t look like love,

then, with the help of God, chip it away! If you have anything in your life that doesn’t look like compassion or mercy or empathy, then, with the help of God, chip it away! If you have hatred or prejudice or vengeance or envy in your heart, for God’s sake, and the for the other person’s sake, and  for your sake, get rid of it! Let God chip everything out of your life that doesn’t look like tenderheartedness and love.

 

August 8,2008

I  always wonder if I’m worthy.I spoke in a church in Ellibelle one day. The preacher was out of town.  The lay leader conducted the service. He was also song leader, the treasurer, and filled lots of other positions in the church.   We bowed our heads and had a prayer just before the offertory.  When I opened my eye the lay leader was gone, and two of the biggest dudes I’d ever seen were coming down the isle. I thought they’d found me out and were coming after me.  Fortunately they were the ushers. The lay leader had gone behind me to direct the choir. I recovered and got the plates to them.

July 30,2008

I was intrigued to read recently of a family that put up a hummingbird feeder with four feeding stations. Immediately it became popular with the hummingbirds that lived in the area. Two, three, or even four birds would feed at one time. The feeder would be refilled at least once a day.

 

Suddenly the usage decreased to almost nothing. The feeder needed filling only about once a week. The reason for the decreased usage soon became apparent. A male bird had taken over the feeder as his property. He was now the only hummingbird who used it. He would feed and then sit in a nearby tree, rising to attack any bird that approached his feeder. Guard duty occupied his every waking hour. He was an effective guard. The only time another bird got to use the feeder was when the self-appointed owner was momentarily gone to chase away an intruder.

 

That hummingbird was teaching a valuable lesson. By choosing to assume ownership of the feeder, he forfeited his freedom. He was no longer free to come and go as he wished. He was tied to the work of guarding his feeder, his STUFF, his barns full of worldly goods. His possessions owned him, the same way the rich man was possessed by his barns full of crops.

July 29,2008

The Dollars Are in the Way

Henry Ford once asked an associate about his life goals. The man replied that his goal was to make a million dollars. A few days later Ford gave the man a pair of glasses made out of two silver dollars. He told the man to put them on and asked what he could see. “Nothing,” the man said. “The dollars are in the way.” Ford told him that he wanted to teach him a lesson: If his only goal was dollars, he would miss a host of greater opportunities. He should invest himself in serving others, not simply in making money.

  July 28, 2008

Several years back a young minister was called to the home of a young lady who’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer. They went over the funeral arrangements, the songs to be sung at the funeral, the scriptures to be raised up, and the pall bearers. They even discussed the flowers to adorn the casket.

The pastor was about to leave and asked if there was anything else he needed to do knowing this would be the last time he saw her alive.

  “Yes,” she answered. “Place a fork in my right hand in the casket.”

            “A fork in your right hand,’ He inquired.

            “Let me explain,” she continued. “I’ve been going to the good meals they serve, potluck and Wednesday night suppers for years and years. Each time when they’re clearing off the table, I’m told, ‘Hold on to your fork.’ I know the best is still to come. There’ll be chocolate pie, pecan pie, good cake or pudding. I just know the best is yet to come. When the people inquire about my fork, just tell them, ‘The best is yet to come.’”

            The lady was positioned in her casket with the fork in her right hand. Everyone that viewed the corpse asked, “Why is she holding a fork?”

            The preacher explained to all her wishes, “The best is yet to come.”

            That made lots of people think.

ANOTHER DEVOTIONAL JUNE 29, 2008

When I arrived at a men’t meeting one cool Sunday morning, a cold, shivering Paul sat wrapped in a blanket with a hot cup of coffee in his hand.  The temperature had dropped to below freezing overnight making Paul very cold as he slept outside. Seemingly Paul had come from Honduras seeking work. Paul had hoboed on trains across the southern United States after coming from Honduras. He had a skinned head as evidence of a less than successful dismount from a moving train.  While sleeping aginst the church’s doors, he was accosted by some passers by who tried to take his last five dollars.

It wasn’t difficult to get donations for Paul from those attending the breakfast. They all had more than five dolllars in their pockets. All had slept in security, very warmly, with full stomach, the night previously.

During the church services, the words from Matthew seemed to run through my head: You did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.

After church, my wife and I saw that Paul had a bath, some fresh clothes, and was transported to a Hispanic preacher that could care for him.

There is a postscript. About two years later, Paul called to thank us for helping him. He had become a Christian and was doing well.