Blog Archives - Grace Drops

Lunch with God

3/29/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.

He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy? "He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's 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 a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

A Lesson in Heart

3/28/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

A lesson in "heart" is my little, ten year old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell me she had competed in "field day"- that's where they have lots of races and other competitive events. Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down-but before I could get a word out, she said, "Daddy, I won two of the races!"

I couldn't believe it!

And then Sarah said, "I had an advantage." Ahh. I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start ... some kind of physical advantage. But again, before I could say anything, she said, "Daddy, I didn't get a head start ... . My advantage was I had to try harder!"

Dr. Stan Frager

Seven Wonders of the World

3/25/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World." Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St.Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The little girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there are so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the "Seven Wonders of the World" are

1.      To see
2.      To hear
3.      To touch
4.      To taste
5.      To feel!
6.      To laugh
7.      And to love

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous! A gentle reminder--that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

A Scorpion Moment

3/20/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

There was this Hindu who saw a scorpion floundering around in the water. He decided to save it by stretching out his finger, but the scorpion stung him. The man still tried to get the scorpion out of the water, but the scorpion stung him again.

A man nearby told him to stop saving the scorpion that kept stinging him.

But the Hindu said: "It is the nature of the scorpion to sting. It is my nature to love. Why should I give up my nature to love just because it is the nature of the scorpion to sting?"

Don't give up loving.
Don't give up your goodness.
Even if people around you sting.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

Rich or Poor?

3/18/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have. "Life is too short and friends are too few."

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

The Tree

3/15/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tan face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree", he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again." "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

The Daffodil Principle

3/13/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead.

"I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother, and it's just a few blocks. I'm used to this. It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns - great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn.

"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the questions I know you are asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman, whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of indescribable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time - often just one baby-step at a time - and learning to love the doing; learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked way at it 'one bulb at a time' through THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?" So, stop waiting...

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

To Let Go

3/11/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

To let go does not mean to stop caring. . . . it means I can't do it for someone else...

To let go is not to cut myself off. . . . it's the realization I can't control another...

To let go is not to enable but to allow learning from natural consequences...

To let go is to admit powerlessness. . . . which means the outcome is not in my hands...

To let go is not to try to change or blame another. . . . it is to make the most of myself...

To let go is not to judge but to allow another to be human...

To let go is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality...

To let go is not to deny but to accept...

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue. . . . but to search out my own shortcomings and correct them...

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it...

To let go is not to criticize and regulate anybody but to try and become what I dream to be...

To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future...

To let go is to fear less, and to love more...

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

The Final Exam

3/7/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

These four friends were so confident, that the weekend before finals they decided to go up to the University of Virginia and party with some friends. They had a great time, however, after all the hearty drinking and partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Duke until early Monday morning.

Rather than take the 100 point final then, they decided to find their professor after the final and explain to him why they missed it. They explained that they had gone to UVA for the weekend with the plan to come to study but, unfortunately, they had a flat tire on the way back, didn't have a spare, and couldn't get help for a long time. As a result they missed the final.

The Professor thought it over and then agreed they could make up the final the following day. The guys were elated and relieved. They studied that night and went in the next day at the time the Professor had told them.

He placed them in separate rooms and handed each of them a test booklet and told them to begin. They looked at the first problem, worth only 5 points, something simple about free radical formation.

"Cool," they thought at the same time, each one in his separate room, "this is going to be easy."

Each finished the problem, and then turned the page. On the second page was written: (For 95 points): Which tire?

© Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).

Hard to Stop

3/4/2013

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

George Cafego was a splendid halfback during the early days of professional football. He played for the old Brooklyn Dodgers football team.

One day in a game against the New York Giants, Cafego brought the ball upfield practically by himself. Just before the half ended, he broke away over left tackle. First one man hit him, then another, but Cafego kept going. Another man hit him and twisted him around, but Cafego kept going.

Finally, about five Giants ganged up on him. Still he plowed goalward. At last he started down, just as the timer's gun exploded.

"My soul!" shouted a spectator. "They had to shoot him to stop him!"

As George Cafego could not be stopped, so nothing should hinder us from accomplishing the things that mean so much to us. Whether it is being a friend in trying times, or striving to excellence in our work, or aiming for quality in our own character, nothing should get in our way.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume II (2004).