Inspiration

“… he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”
Matthew 14:19

Here’s how the story goes: Jesus had just gotten word that his cousin, who’d been in prison, had been killed. He got into a small rowboat they used for fishing, with some of the guys, and quietly set out for a spot off the beaten path.

The paparazzi were right on top of this, however. Literally thousands from the entire area walked to the place where the boat was going to land. When Jesus saw all these people who had come because they were sick in some way, He had compassion for them. Even though He’d planned this to be a private getaway, Jesus began to heal them.

When it started getting late, one of the disciples said, “Hey, there’s nowhere to get food around here. Let’s take a break, and people can go buy something to eat in the town nearby.”

Jesus answered, “They don’t have to leave; you give them something to eat.” It was af He had said, “It’s their problem, but now it’s yours since you’re concerned about it.”

They were able to get a couple of dried fish and a few flat bread loaves. Jesus asked them to bring the food over to Him. He told all the people to sit down on the grass. He gave thanks to the Lord and broke the bread into pieces, then gave it back to them, who in turn gave it to the people. Everybody got to eat, plus they had left-overs.

Here’s the cool part. Jesus had compassion on the people, and what followed was a miracle. The miracle of ‘more’ happened in the distribution, and not before.

When something touches my heart, and there’s a need of some kind, whose problem is it? A federal agency? The church? Some organization? Or mine? Jesus always has compassion. That is His nature. We ((today’s disciples) are His hands and feet.

Today I hope to remember that whenever I am moved with compassion, a miracle can follow. If I give what little bit I might have to the Lord, He will bless it and give it back, so I can give it away, and He can work a miracle of more.

Contributed by Sally I. Kennedy: boca7565@bellsouth.net Sally is the author of “52 Little Parables from Ireland” Creation House Press.

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people.

His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.

Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: “Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?” Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.

Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying, “My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?”

Beverly said, “Why yes I do.” Edith said, “Well, what do you believe about Easter?” Beverly said, “Well, it’s all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up.” Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phillips said, “Beverly, don’t call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room.

After being called back in the doctor’s office, Edith sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said, “Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying?”

Dr. Phillips said gently, “Edith, I’m the doctor and you’re the patient.”

With a heavy heart he said, “Your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you’re not going to live very long.”

Edith said, “Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I’m going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!”

Dr. Phillips thought to himself, “What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!”

Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, “Will, I’m very near home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter.”

Well, they did just that and women began to come in and share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started calling her Edith Easter; that is everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.

Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a “religious nut”. She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married three times, she was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.

One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick. Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot. When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, “Phyllis, God loves you and I love you, and I have been praying for you.”

Phyllis Cross said, “Well, you can quit praying for me, it won’t work. I’m not interested.” Edith said, “Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family.”

Phyllis Cross said, “Then you will never die because that will never happen,” and curtly walked out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, “God loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I’m praying for you.” One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith’s room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said, “I’m so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day.”

Phyllis Cross said, “Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, ‘Do you believe in Easter?’ but you have never asked me.” Edith said, “Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked…”

Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, “Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?” Phyllis Cross said, “Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in my life.” Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.

Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, “Do you know what day it is?” Phyllis Cross said, “Why Edith, it’s Good Friday.” Edith said, “Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!” Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into Edith’s room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face.

When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith’s hand, she realized Edith was dead.

Her left hand was on John 14: “In my Father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, ” And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down here cheeks, said, “Happy Easter, Edith – Happy Easter!”

Phyllis Cross left Edith’s body, walked out of the room, and over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, “My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?”

– Author Unknown

Many many times in my life, more times than I like to remember it hurt a lot feeling unaccepted and unacceptable, and I often wished that horn would be taken away from me. It wasn’t until much later that I realized what a blessing it was. It made me want to accept others because I never wanted to make anyone feel unaccepted by or unacceptable to me. Not that I have fully succeeded because basically I am a judgmental person. But I also know I have made a lot of people feel accepted and acceptable and I am very grateful for that.

Over the years, I often found myself in people’s doghouses, a most interesting phenomenon. I think people put people in doghouses out of a feeling of being right. They feel very justified in marching whoever has displeased them into their doghouses. It seldom occurs to them that the “offended ness” and displeasure could be mutual.

It used to bother me greatly when people and I were at odds with each other. Well, to be honest, it still does if the people concerned are people I love. But another lesson I have learned here is to just let people be cross if that is what they choose to be.

Because I am basically an angry person, I have been analyzing anger for decades and have come to the conclusion that two things make us angry:

1) when others try to make us be or do something we don’t want to (people in authority over us: God, parents, teachers, bosses) and

2) when others will not be or do what we want them to (God and people we have authority over: children, students, employees.) And of course, spouses fit both categories. =).

Gerald Jampolsky calls this desire to control and others’ desire to control us. We have our life’s agenda planned out and when they don’t pan out= major frustration. We ask God for things we want; He doesn’t deliver as we wish – we are upset with Him. We expect the people in our lives to think, talk and behave a certain way which of course they never do; so we’re bent out of shape. We are at the mercy of our scripts.

Here in Papua New Guinea, the term for angry is “belhat” or literally, “hot belly/stomach.” When someone wants to voice his anger towards you, he would say, “Mi belhat long yu.” (My belly is hot towards you.) So when any of my boys are cross, I simply remark, “Oh, here comessome belhat,” and leave it there. I have always quoted the Spanish proverb, “Cuando uno no quiere, dos no pelean.” (When one refuses to, two cannot fight.) But it is only now that I can just “leave it there.” My old stance used to be, “You wanna fight?”

I want to be able to make people feel loved and accepted and worthwhile. I want to put skin on Jesus. I want people to be able to understand how much God loves them by the way I love them. That doesn’t mean I have to accept emotional blackmail or fits or petulanceor rudeness, manipulation or intimidation. I can just leave the belhat there. Nowhere is it written that when someone throws the ball of anger at me, I have to catch it.

I SEE NOW THAT LOVE CAN ACCEPT ANGER.

Lolita Jardeleza
Papua New Guinea

Lolita used to work as a Missionary in Papua New Guinea.