Whispers
The
man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang. But,
the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me" and
the thunder rolled across the sky. But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God
let me see you." And a star shined brightly. But
the man did not see.
And, the man shouted, "God show me a
miracle." And, a life was born. But, the man did
not notice.
So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch
me God, and let me know you are here." Whereupon,
God reached down and touched the man. But, the man brushed
the butterfly away and walked on.
I found this to be a great reminder that God is
always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted ... even in
our electronic age.
So I would like to add one more:
The man cried, "God, I need your help!"
And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement. But, the man deleted it and continued crying .
Don't miss out on a blessing because it
isn't packaged the way that you expect.
John 3:16
A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little
boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen
to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner
there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house
and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in."
So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady
said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace,
and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16 . . . I don't understand it, but
it sure makes a cold boy warm.
Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten
in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food," The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to
a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16 . . .
Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full. She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub
filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16 . . .
I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life.
The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.
The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around
his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow
coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16 . . . I don't understand it but it sure makes a
tired boy rested. The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After
he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible.
She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. "Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently.
He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman
told me to use it." She opened the *Bible* to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life
to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16 . . . don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.
You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus
would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus
suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross ‘til the end. I don't understand
it, but it sure does make life worth living.
AWESOME EXPLANATION OF GOD'S EXISTENCE
(from Belinda)
I thought this was an easy, awesome explanation. This is one of the best explanations of why God allows
pain and suffering that I have seen. It's an explanation that most people will understand.
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work,
they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists,
would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor
pain. I can't imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street
with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what?
Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked
on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with
dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come
to me."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people
don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
If you KNOW God exists, tell this story to other people. If you think God doesn't exist, then just
forget about it! "Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet."
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