Blog Archives - Grace Drops

Old Man Shopping

6/26/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

An old man was grocery shopping with his grandson. The toddler was crying and at times screaming at the top of his lungs. As the old gentleman walked up and down the aisles, people could hear him speaking in a soft voice . . . “We are almost done, Albert . . . try not to cry, Albert . . . life will get better, Albert.”

As he approached the checkout stand, he carefully brushed the toddler’s tears from his eyes and said again, “Try not to cry, Albert . . . We will be home soon, Albert.”

As he was paying the cashier, the toddler continued to cry as a young woman behind him said, “Sir, I think it is wonderful how sweet you are being so kind to your little Albert.”

The old gentleman blinked his eyes a couple of times before saying: “My grandson’s name is John. . . I'm Albert.”

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

The Story of Adam and Eve's Pets

6/25/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

Adam and Eve said, “Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.”

And God said, “I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.”

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.

And Adam said, “Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.”

And God said, “I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.” And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.

And they were comforted

And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, “Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.”

And God said, “I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration.”

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility.

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't give a care one way or other!

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

An Hour of Time

6/24/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

“Yeah sure, what it is?” replied the man.

“Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”

“That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.

“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?”

“If you must know, I make $50 an hour.”

“Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down.

“Daddy, may I please borrow $25?”

The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don’t work hard every day for such childish frivolities.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn’t ask for money very often the man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

“Are you asleep, son?” He asked.

“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $25 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy!” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

“Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.

“Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

A Penny for His Thought

6/23/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts.

Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before. What was the point of this?

“Look at it.” He said. “Read what it says.” She read the words United States of America.

“No, not that; read further.”

“One cent?”

“No, keep reading.”

“In God we Trust?”

“Yes!”

“And?”

“And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

A Helping Hand

6/19/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

The car wouldn't start. The last time this happened, the elderly couple's Mercury Grand Marquis was parked on a slight incline in an Arby's parking lot. They eventually got it started. This time, same Arby's, same incline. So Jean Mary Arnold, 83, and Christopher Pacifico, 90, got out and started pushing the car to a flat spot.

One young man would have none of that.

"Out of nowhere he comes and helps us push it," recalled Arnold.

Within moments, a horde of young people spilled out of Arby's. "I couldn't believe this," she said. "They were all interested in helping us, and they were concerned because we were pushing it near the parking lot entrance, and we might be endangering ourselves."

But the help didn't stop there.

"One young woman uses my AAA card to get someone out here," she said. "Somebody else was asking, 'Can we get you a cold drink? Can we get you a Frosty?' We were very touched by the whole thing."

The car eventually got started — "Something about a burglar alarm locking down the engine" — and the couple went on their way. But the experience has stayed with them.

"Young people are there helping us old codgers," she said. "It made me feel like there's some hope left in the world, that it isn't all shoot'em up. They didn't have to go out of their way. You hear the old folks say, 'Oh, we long for the good ol' days.' Well, this is the future. And the world should know there are still young people doing the same things we were taught to do."

Author: Patrick Farnan, Tampa Bay Times, reprinted with permission.

If the Thread is Torn Loose

6/18/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

My wife Patty received a Grace Drop one November day in the form of a pale green afghan from Ellen Eagan, of Alpena, Michigan, which she had made. Ellen and Patty have been great friends since seventh grade and Ellen’s father, Gilbert, was a beloved Episcopal priest in Alpena. Ellen found the following story of her father’s and I am passing it along to all of you:

I once read a story about a spider (a very respectable and well-behaved spider) that lived high up in the rafters of a large barn. But one day, as the spider looked down into the barn from its almost “heavenly” home, it began to wonder what life might be like “way down there.”

So adventuresome spider that it was, it dropped down on the end of its long slim thread, coming to rest on a beam many feet beneath. And finding its new surroundings very much to its liking, it wove a new web and set up a new home. And, as the days went on, it caught all sorts of flies – and grew fat and prosperous.

But then, one day – bored with all the ease and pleasures of life – it happened to look up, discovering a long, slender thread running up into the darkness high above. “I wonder what that thread is for?” it asked itself. “I can’t see any reason for its being there.” So it reached up – and broke the thread.

And, almost immediately, the spider’s little home – and its little “world” – collapsed. And it never knew why.

Too many people are rather like the spider. They tear loose the long slender thread that stretches down from far above their sight. And, then, they wonder why their homes, and their lives, and their little self-made “worlds” collapse.

There is a slender “thread” that stretches down from heaven that gives our lives sanity and meaning. It is God’s connection with us – and ours with Him.

Author: Gilbert A Runkel. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

The Rain Deer

6/15/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

(From a story passed on to me)

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. Crops were dying, cows had stopped giving milk, and the streams were dry and rocky. Severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn’t see some rain soon...we would lose everything. It was on this day that I witnessed a true miracle of sharing.

I was in the kitchen making lunch when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn't walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose and with great effort, trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches, thinking that his task had been completed. Moments later, however, he repeated the process, his careful walk to the woods. This activity went on for an hour.

Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen. He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked, being very careful not to spill the water he held in them ... maybe two or three tablespoons. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face, but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.

Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him...he didn't even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn lying on the ground; obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand. When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree. I followed him back to the house to a spigot to which we had shut off the water. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip slowly fill up his makeshift "cup," as the sun beat down on his little back. And I remembered him playing with the hose and the lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn't ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him.

His little eyes just filled with tears. "I'm not wasting," was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him...with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn as I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, other drops...and more drops...and more suddenly joined them. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.

Some will probably say that this was a coincidence, that miracles don't really exist, that it was bound to rain soon. I can't argue with that... I'm not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm...just like the actions of one little boy saved another.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

Switcheroo

6/12/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

Two men were walking their dogs together. The first guy with a Chocolate Lab and the second a Chihuahua.

The first guy says, “Hey, you want to get something to eat?”

The second guy replies, “Yeah, but they all have signs that say, ‘No Dogs Allowed.’”

The first guy with the Lab puts sunglasses on and hands the other guy a pair. “Follow my lead,” he says.

As he walks into the restaurant a waiter stops him and says, “Sir, no dogs allowed.”

The man replies, “It’s O.K., this is my seeing-eye dog.” The waiter apologizes and leads the man to a table as the second man enters.

The same waiter stops him but the guy says, “This is my seeing-eye dog. I’m with the other guy.”

The waiter replies, “Sir, you can’t fool me, you have a Chihuahua.”

The man freaks out and says, “A Chihuahua? They gave me a Chihuahua?!”

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

Think

6/11/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don't;

If you'd like to win but you think you can't,

You can almost be certain you won't.

If you think that you'll lose, you are lost,

For out in the world you will find

Success begins with a person's will;

It's all in the state of the mind.

If you think you're outclassed you are;

You've got to think high to rise.

You've just got to be sure of yourself

Before you can win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To a stronger or faster man;

But sooner or later the person who wins

Is the person who THINKS they can.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).

Lessons from a Rose

6/9/2015

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

The first day of university our professor challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a dazzling smile.

She said, “Hi handsome. I’m Rose. I’m 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids.”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious! What may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge now.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!”After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends and this continued for the next three months. I was mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do.

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’s end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 8 (2010).