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A Quarter's Worth of Character

7/22/2014

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You' d better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as 'a gift from God' and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver, with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday."

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).

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The Flutterby

7/18/2014

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When I was a young girl, my father and I would spend hours talking about nature, space, and all things possible. He was my best bud. One day we were outside talking about UFOs, heaven, space, and what happens when we die.

About that time a butterfly went by us, and Dad said, “Look, sweetie, a flutterby!” Being the argumentative kid I was, I said, “No, Daddy (giggle), that’s a butterfly!” He said, “No, it’s a flutterby – see, it flutters by,” and we both laughed. From that day on we called them flutterbys.

About 18 years later, my dear Daddy died while I was out of town with my new family. I had a very hard time with his death; I went into a deep depression.

A short time after my father died, I was out in Dad’s backyard, crying and thinking about him when a flutterby fluttered by. The flutterby went all around me, then stopped, very close. I watched it for a long time. A great feeling of peace spread over me, and a smile came to my face. It was like a message from Daddy that everything would be okay.

And to this day, when things get tough for me, I see a flutterby.

Reprinted with permission from the book, Afterglow: Signs of Continued Love. © 2002, Karla Wheeler. Quality of Life Publishing Co, Naples, FL. www.QoLpublishing.com

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White Lie Cake

7/15/2014

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Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Church Ladies' Group in Tuscaloosa, but forgot to do it until the last minute. She remembered the morning of the bake sale & after rummaging through cabinets, found an angel food cake mix and quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing, and helping her son pack for Scout camp.

When Alice took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured, she thought, "Oh dear, there is not time to bake another cake." This cake was important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church and in her new community of friends.

So, being inventive, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom - a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect. Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the moment it opened at 9:30 and to buy the cake and bring it home.

When Amanda arrived at the sale, she found the attractive, perfect cake had already been sold. She grabbed her cell phone and called her mom. Alice was horrified - she was beside herself. Everyone would know! What would they think? She would be ostracized, talked about, and ridiculed!

All night, Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing fingers at her and talking about her behind her back. The next day, Alice promised herself she would try not to think about the cake and would attend the fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a fellow church member and try to have a good time. Alice did not want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at Alice because she was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa. But, having already RSVP'd, she couldn't think of a believable excuse to stay home.

The meal was elegant; the company was definitely upper crust old South and, to Alice's horror, the cake in question was presented for dessert! Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake! She started out of her chair to tell the hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "What a beautiful cake!"

Alice still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, "Thank you, I baked it myself."

Alice smiled and thought to herself, "God is good."

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).

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A Dog's Purpose

7/12/2014

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Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. Upon examination, I found he was dying of cancer. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?

Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn stuff like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps. Lots of them.

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Being always grateful for each new day and for the blessing of you.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).

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Jessie's Glove

7/9/2014

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I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores. Among the topics we address in our seminars is the retention of quality employees - a real challenge to managers when you consider the pay scale in the service industry.

During these discussions, I ask the participants, "What has caused you to stay long enough to become a manager?" Some time back a new manager took the question and slowly, with her voice almost breaking, said, "It was a $19 baseball glove."

Cynthia told the group that she originally took a Circle K clerk job as an interim position while she looked for something better. On her second or third day behind the counter, she received a phone call from her nine-year old son, Jessie. He needed a baseball glove for Little League. She explained that as a single mother, money was very tight, and her first check would have to go for paying bills. Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third check.

When Cynthia arrived for work the next morning Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the small room in back of the store that served as an office. Cynthia wondered if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job incomplete from the day before. She was concerned and confused.

Patricia handed her a box. "I overheard you talking to your son yesterday," she said, "and I know that it is hard to explain things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie because he may not understand how important he is, even though you have to pay bills before you can buy gloves. You know we can't pay good people like you as much as we would like to; but we do care, and I want you to know you are important to us."

The thoughtfulness, empathy and love of this convenience store manager demonstrates vividly that people remember more how much an employer cares than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little League baseball glove.

Author: Rick Phillips, Heart At Work

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Quit Fighting

7/5/2014

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Often sheer effort and determination are not enough to reach our goals. Accurate knowledge is necessary.

For example, the ancients who attempted to fly by strapping feathered wings to their arms and flapping with all their might as they leaped from high places invariably failed. Despite their dreams and hard work, they were fighting against some very powerful forces of nature.

No one could be strong enough to win such a fight. Flight became possible only after people learned to understand the relevant natural laws and principles that made flight possible—the law of gravity, Bernoulli’s principle, and the concepts of lift, drag, and resistance.

When people designed flying systems that recognized or harnessed the power of these laws and principles, rather than fighting them, they were finally able to fly to heights and distances that previously were unimaginable.

“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. And swing!” Leo Buscaglia

Courtesy of the “Howe Herald.” Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).

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Rooted Together

7/3/2014

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The huge redwood trees in California are considered the largest things on earth and the tallest trees in the world. Some of them are three hundred feet high and over 2,500 years old. One would think that trees so large would have a tremendous root system reaching down hundreds of feet into the earth.

The redwoods actually have a very shallow system of roots, but they all intertwine. They are locked to each other. When the storms come or the winds blow, the redwoods stand. They are locked to each other, and they don’t stand alone, for all the trees support and protect each other.

Over the years our world has changed and become much more transient. Families are often separated by states, if not countries. Communities see a constant movement as newcomers move in and others suddenly, because of business or family obligations, pack up and are on their way to new beginnings. Our root system has become more shallow than in years gone by.

It is for this reason that we must strive to find values that are worth living for and build relationships that intertwine and make us strong. While we may work to sink our roots deep into our community, our commitment to one another can help us weather the storms of life. Let’s learn a lesson from the redwoods.

© 2008, John C. Fitts, III. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).

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A Quarter's Worth of Character

The Flutterby

White Lie Cake

A Dog's Purpose

Jessie's Glove

Quit Fighting

Rooted Together

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© This website, the images on the website, and all material found within this site are copyrighted.
Any copying or reproducing in part or whole, without consent, is strictly prohibited.

A Quarter's Worth of Character

The Flutterby

White Lie Cake

A Dog's Purpose

Jessie's Glove

Quit Fighting

Rooted Together

Author

Archives

Categories

© This website, the images on the website, and all material found within this site are copyrighted.Any copying or reproducing in part or whole, without consent, is strictly prohibited.

© This website, the images on the website, and all material found within this site are copyrighted.
Any copying or reproducing in part or whole, without consent, is strictly prohibited.