Blog Archives - Grace Drops

Louisiana Ghost Story

10/31/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

Truth or fiction - you decide.

Happy Halloween!

This story allegedly happened near a small town in south Louisiana, and while it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it’s true. No really.

This guy was on the side of the road hitch-hiking on a very dark night in the middle of a storm. The night passed slowly and no cars went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.

Suddenly he saw a car slowly looming, ghostlike, out of the gloom. It slowly crept toward him and stopped. Reflexively, the guy got into the car and closed the door, then realized that there was nobody behind the wheel. The car slowly started moving again. The guy was terrified, too scared to think of jumping out and running. The guy saw that the car was slowly approaching a sharp curve. The guy started to pray, begging for his life; he was sure the ghost car would go off the road and he would plunge to his death, when just before the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the steering wheel, guiding the car safely around the bend. Paralyzed with terror, the guy watched the hand reappear every time they reached a curve. Finally, the guy gathered his wits and leaped from the car and ran to the nearest town.

Wet and in shock, he went into a bar and voice quavering, ordered two shots of tequila, and told everybody about his horrible, supernatural experience. A silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy was apparently sane and not drunk. About half an hour later two guys walked into the same bar. One says to the other, “Look Boudreaux, dere’s dat idiot dat rode in our car when we was pushin’ it in da’ rain.”

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).

Five Things God Won't Ask On That Day

10/28/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5. God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).

I've Been There

10/24/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

A man fell into a deep hole from which he cannot escape. He hollers for help for hours. Finally, a banker walks by, hears his shouts, throws him down some money to purchase a ladder, and walks away. The man then goes back to hollering for help. Next, a priest walks by, hears his cries, throws down a note with a prayer written on it asking for help from above, and walks on. The man, still in the hole, hollers some more. All of a sudden, a man jumps down into the hole with the stranded man who then says, “What did you do that for? Now we're both down here. “Yes,” says the other man, “but I've been down here before and I know the way out.”

When I first read this I wasn’t sure it was worthy of a Grace Drop. I put it in my file and left it for quite a while. Then I began looking for more stories as the seventh year got underway. I read it again. For some reason it seemed to take on a whole new meaning. C. S. Lewis once wrote something like this: “You know you have made a friend when someone says, ‘Did you feel that way too?’” It is knowing that someone has been there, not just that they agree.

© 2009, John C. Fitts, III. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).

Gems of Life

10/22/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them -- work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."

How? Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as though they were your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.

Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).

Puppy Size

10/15/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

"Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the mother told the volunteer.
"What is it she keeps asking for?" the volunteer asked.
"Puppy size!" replied the mother.
"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for."
"I know...we have seen most of them," the mom said in frustration...
Just then Danielle came walking into the office
"Well, did you find one?" asked her mom. "No, not this time," Danielle said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?"
The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.
"You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said.
Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I'll find one this weekend," she said.
Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," Dad finally said in frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," Mom added.
Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted. Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, you're not the one."
It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer. "Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. "It's the puppy size!"
"But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks," Mom said.
"No not size − sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said.
"Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!"
"Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).

The Wise Man and the Pearl

10/9/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

A traveler with a troubled heart was walking along the beach. He was headed to a small hut where an old hermit was said to live. This hermit had gained a reputation for his wisdom and kindness and had helped many people with their problems over the years. As the traveler approached the hut he saw the wise man gathering oysters from the sea for his dinner. The wise man smiled kindly to the traveler and asked him to join in the meal. As the wise man was opening a large oyster a huge pearl fell out. The traveler knew that this pearl was worth enough money to pay off his debts and take care of him for the rest of his life. He immediately asked the wise man if he could have it. The wise man smiled lovingly and without a second glance gave him the pearl.

The traveler started home thinking of his great fortune and all that he could buy with it, but while the pearl was heavy in his hands his heart was still heavy as well. After several days he returned again to the wise man’s hut. Placing the pearl in front of him the traveler said: "I no longer want this pearl, but I do want to know what you have inside of you that allowed you to give it to me without a second thought."

Like that traveler I also have much to learn, but I still hope to one day live like that wise man. I hope to give without a second glance. I hope to share without a single thought of myself. I hope to make my own life a gift of love to everyone in this world. That, I believe, is how God wants us all to live. We were not just put here to follow the Golden Rule, but also to live with Golden Love. We were not just put on this world to follow God’s commandments, but also to become more like God ourselves. The greatest pearl of all lies in our own souls. May we all find it, cherish it, and then share it with everyone we meet.

Author: Joseph J. Mazzella

Pray First

10/6/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree. As he went further, he saw a large wild "Tom" turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'Pray, Aim high and Stay focused." So, the man decided to listen to God's voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey.

The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked the man into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to feed his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Moral of the story:
Pray first before you do anything, Aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, "the past." Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).

You're a Keeper

10/4/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

This is a great story that many of us who grew up before the disposable era can easily relate to:

I grew up in the 40s/50s with practical parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a name for it . . . A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones.

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in pedal pushers, lawn mower in one hand, and dishtowel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that fixing, re-heating, renewing − I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So... while we have it . . . it's best we love it . . . and care for it . . . and fix it when it's broken . . . and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage . . . and old cars . . . and children with bad report cards . . . and dogs with bad hips . . . and aging parents . . . and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special . . . and, so, we keep them close.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).

Getting the Idea

10/1/2014

© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others as much as He loves me.
God said... Ahhhh, you finally have the idea.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).