A woman was asked by a coworker, “What is it like to be a Christian?”
The coworker replied, “It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.”
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A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, “I hope he doesn’t come over here.” But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.
“Where are you folks from?” he asked in a friendly voice.
“Oklahoma,” they answered.
“Great to have you here in Tennessee” the stranger said. “What do you do for a living?”
“I teach at a seminary,” he replied.
“Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I’ve got a really great story for you.” And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.
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“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
-Psalm 91:14-16
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“Poor little butterfly,” the young girl said. “Poor little butterfly.”
Then reaching down slowly so as to not scare it away, she slid
her tiny fingers underneath, urging it to step upon her hand.
It would appear to anyone that this delicate creature was lifeless
leaving behind remains of what once was.
But not her. She sensed something. She knew right away that
there was indeed some life left in this most fragile example of
God’s work.
The butterfly nearly tumbled onto her hand, wings folded
straight up, apparently unable to fly.
Then, perhaps it was the warmth of her hands or the welcoming
Iresponse to the attention it was given, but the butterfly began to
walk slowly up to her palm.
“Poor little butterfly,” she repeated again as she brought it
closer to her face.
“If I could kiss you I would, ” she said.
The butterfly, appearing to respond, slowly opened its wings,
to reveal its beautiful designand colors. Now open fully, the
child brought it closer and gave an angel’s kiss of love.
Just off in the distance watching this precious moment, her
grandmother walked toward them.
“Oh, you have found it,” she said. “I was waiting for it and
wondered where it was.”
The child looked a bit surprised and said. “You were waiting
for this butterfly? Why?”
“It is sent to remind us,” grandmother said.
“But it is dying. I feel sorry for it. Don’t they fly away when
it gets cold?”
“Yes, they do. But one is always chosen to remain behind,”
she said.
Maybe this was just grandmother’ s way of softening the the
truth so that the child would not be saddened by the thought
of the butterfly dying. But what unfolded here was an
incredible moment, an opportunity seen and taken to teach
a lesson of love.
“Why would they choose to be left behind?” the child asked
as she gently stroked the butterfly.
“They don’t choose to be, they are chosen,” she told her.
The child looked down again and held it closer.
“It is a great honor to be chosen. The story goes that God
realized that when winter comes color disappears. The
color of the flowers fade into the earth and all the delicate
butterflies leave for warmer places. So, God decided that
one should remain to remind us of the beautiful world He
has created and the promise of Spring’s return.”
The child looked down and then lifting her head slowly,
she whispered, “And I found it, grandmother. “
“Yes, and with that you have a great responsibility, ” she
said as she held the young girl’s face in her hands.
“What?”
“You must now take time to see God’s colors in the darkness
of winter.
You must be the sunshine. You must help those who have
forgotten how beautiful life is, to see the color of God’s love
for them.”
“Oh, grandmother. I don’t know how to,” she said.
“It is simple. Be yourself. People believe only what they see.
Like the flowers and butterflies. But God makes people
beautiful inside. It is up to us to bring that beauty out by loving
each other, helping each other and when we find someone who
has fallen, just like that butterfly, it is up to us to pick them up,
carress them and care for them. For one day it may very well
be His Chosen One left behind.”
The child moved closer to her grandmother as they sat admiring
God’s messenger.
Take time to see the beauty, the colors of God in the people
around you.
You, too may find the “Poor little butterfly!”
“I believe in you!”
Bob
~ Author: Bob Perks
If you would like to receive Bob’s Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYou Enough.com
and submit your email address
‘ Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and
mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3,
We could hear it before we could see it. One lone goose, honking
loudly on his way in. If any other geese had been on the small lake
this beautiful autumn morning, they would have answered the call.
“Hunters know this”, my husband explained. “That’s the reason for the
turkey callers that they use; they can learn where the birds are.”
The goose paddled around, near the water’s muddy edge by the lily
pads, all alone. No answer. No geese were on this lake. Perhaps
they had all flown south for the winter. It was well into fall, and
there’d been one chilly frost already.
I thought, good thing we can call to God ANY time at all, and He is
never gone. Isn’t it amazing? This almighty God of the universe, who
is unchanging, sovereign, steadfast, and ever-faithful, is the same
God who keeps a listening ear out for those calling out- for
companions, for help, for whatever. And, He will answer. It’s a promise.
That is good news.
There are many times when we begin a certain task that God lays on our
hearts and because we think our efforts are minimal and not making a
difference, we quit the job that God told us to pursue.
The enemy loves to plant seeds of doubt and lure us into thinking that
we
are not capable of making a difference in this world, but with God’s
help we
can overcome and fulfill the destiny that God has for every believer.
If you are going through a situation of doubting your task unto the
Lord,
then I hope this story will bless and encourage you to never quit what
God
has laid on your heart because you may never know of the lives that you
are
touching.
I read of a man who was involved in a tragic accident. He lost both
legs
and his left arm and only a finger and thumb remained on the right hand.
But he still possessed a brilliant mind, enriched with a good education
and
broadened with world travel. At first he thought there was nothing he
could
do but remain a helpless sufferer.
A thought came to him. It was always nice to receive letters, but why
not
write them–he could still use his right hand with some difficulty.
But to
whom could be right?
Was there anyone shut-in and incapacitated like he was who could be
encouraged by his letters? He thought of men in prison–they did have
some
hope of release, whereas he had none–but it was worth a try.
He wrote to a Christian organization concerned with prison ministry. He
was
told that his letters could not be answered because it was against
prison
rules, but he still decided to commence this one-sided correspondence.
He wrote twice a week, and it taxed his strength to the limit. But into
the
letters he put his whole soul, all his experience, all his faith, all
his
wit, and all his Christian optimism.
Frequently he felt discouraged and was tempted to give it all up. But
it
was his one remaining activity, and he resolved to continue as long as
he
could.
At last he got a letter. It was very short, written on prison
stationery by
the officer whose duty it was to censor the mail.
All it said was: “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your
letters are passed from cell to cell till they literally fall to
pieces.”
No matter what your situation may be like, you still have the ability to
encourage someone who is discouraged and lift up someone who is feeling
low.
Take this story as an encouragement to give your all for someone else
and do
not worry about the results. No good work will go unseen and only God
knows
of the impact that your life can have on someone else.
Let us not do our good works so that we may be praised, but let us do
good
works so that others may be lifted up and God be praised because of our
intervention.
The only thing that we can take with us into eternity is what we have
done
for the Lord. There are no bank accounts in heaven to show how much
your
net worth was on the earth, but there will be accounts in heaven of what
you
did to show your life as an example in leading others to Him.
– Author Unknown
Philippians 4:13
The hummingbird darted from one side of the garage to the other. It went from
the ceiling to the floor, but found no escape. My daughter thought it was rather odd the
bird didn’t fly out the open garage door- an obvious means of escape. He didn’t,
though, and as he continued to fly frantically back and forth, he exhausted himself. Afraid
to touch the fragile bird with bare hands, my son in law took the pool skimmer (a net
attached to a long pole) and extended it toward the bird. He hopped over to the extended
net, barely being able to flitter. He proceeded to take this little treasure out to the back
yard, so he could have his freedom. However, the bird was just too exhausted to move.
He then walked to the hummingbird feeder, where the bird, sitting on the pool skimmer,
hungrily sipped drinks of nourishment . Before too long, he was able to fly away and live
in the way God intended, not trapped in a garage.
Do you ever feel exhausted from the wear and tear of everyday life? Does it seem
you go endlessly back and forth, running here and there, becoming exhausted by the
endless effort you have to exert? There is an escape, and you have probably heard about it
sometime during your life. It is like the open garage door… right there, available for you .
It is God’s holy word, and it is in the Bible. If you are too exhausted to go feed on His
word, He is lovingly and willingly able to help you go there. Just as my son in law took the
hummingbird straight to the nourishment on a swimming pool skimmer, so God will take
you where you need to go. Sometimes He speaks straight to your heart, and sometimes
He uses others. Listen…He wants to talk to you!
Author ~
Marion Smith noles65@aol. com