Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ruth looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter one more time...
Dear Ruth, I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always, Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk... leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm. "Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed to figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. "Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it." Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. "Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him." "Yeah, well, OK lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she searched, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth, It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, also, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always, Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill; When the funds are low and the depts are high And you want to smile, but you have to sigh; When care is pressing you down a bit- Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is challenging with its twists and turns As every one of us sometimes learns. And many a fellow turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out Don't give up though the pace seems slow- You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man. Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup. And he learned too late when the night came down How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out- The silver line of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It might be near when it seems afar. So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit- It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
There is something deeper than happiness, and that is joy. Happiness comes from happenings, but joy may be within in spite of happenings. "Happiness" is the world's word; "joy" is the Christian's word. The New Testament does not use the word "happiness" or promise it--it uses the word "joy." And for a reason.
Many people are expecting happiness from following the Christian faith--that God will arrange the things that happen to me so they will all add up to happiness. When the things that happen to them do not mean happiness, such people are dismayed and feel God has let them down. Why should this happen to me? They expect to be protected from happenings that make them unhappy. This is a false view and leads to a lot of disillusionment. For the Christian is not necessarily protected from things that make people unhappy. Was Jesus protected from things that make people unhappy? Was Paul? Their Christian faith got them into opposition, into persecution, into death. How could a faith that has a cross at its center promise exemption from happenings that ordinarily bring unhappiness? Then what is the answer? The Christian faith offers joy in the midst of happenings which make people with that faith unhappy. When the Christian doesn't find joy on account of his happenings, he/she can always find joy in spite of them.
The Christian is taught not merely to accept limitations, but to use them. Take what you have and make something out of it. You must learn to live in spite of. Carlyle once said: "You may hear it said of me that I am cross-grained and disagreeable. Don't believe it. Only let me have my own way exactly in everything with all about me precisely as I wish, and a sunnier or pleasanter creature does not exist." But Carlyle was being satirical here. We must make our happiness not dependent upon happenings. We can make everything into something else. Use everything.
One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise.
Ah! The beauty of God's creation is beyond description.
As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work.
As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me.
He asked me,
"Do you love me?"
I answered,
"Of course, God! You are my Lord and Saviour!"
Then He asked,
"If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?"
I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body
and wondered how many things I wouldn't; be able to do, the things that I
took for granted.
And I answered, "It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You."
Then the Lord said,
"If you were blind, would you still love my creation?"
How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought
of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved
God and His creation.
So I answered, "Its hard to think of it, but I would still love you."
The Lord then asked me,
"If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?"
How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening
to God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts.
I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word."
The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?"
How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me: God wants
us to sing from our very heart. It never matters what we sound like.
And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted,
we give God praise with our words of thanks.
So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise
Your Name.
And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?"
With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes Lord! I love
You because You are the one and true God!"
I thought I had answered well, but God asked, "THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?"
I answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect."
"THEN WHY IN TIMES OF PEACE DO YOU STRAY THE FURTHEST?
WHY ONLY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE DO YOU PRAY THE EARNEST?"
No answers. Only tears.
The Lord continued: "Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek
Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things
so unfaithfully?"
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.
"Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the good news? Why
in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry
on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?"
I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give.
"You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I
blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I
have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have
spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you
but your eyes were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat
by as they were pushed away. I have heard your prayers and I have
answered them all."
"DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME ?"
I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no
excuse. What could I say to this? When I my heart had cried out and the
tears had flowed, I said, Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be
Your child."
The Lord answered, " That is My Grace, My child."
I asked, " Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?"
The Lord answered,
" Because you are My creation. You are my child.
I will never abandon you.
When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you.
When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you.
When you are down, I will encourage you.
When you fall, I will raise you up.
When you are tired, I will carry you.
I will be with you till the end of days, and I will
love you forever."
Never had I cried so hard before. How could I have been so cold? How could
I have hurt God as I had done?
I asked God,
"How much do You love me?"
The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands.
I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Saviour.
And for the first time, I truly prayed.
Author Unknown
I asked God to take away my pride, and God said "NO" He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said "NO" He said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience, and God said "NO" He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation, it isn't granted,it's earned.
I asked God to give me happiness, and God said "NO" He said He gives blessings, happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain, and God said "NO" He said,"suffering draws you apart from the worldly cares and brings you closer to me".
I asked God to make my spirit grow, and God said "NO" He said I must grow on my own, but He will prune me to make me fruitful.
I asked God to help me love others, as much as He loves me. And God said "Ahhh, finally, you have the idea!"
- Author Unknown
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