An old tale is told of a storm that caught a vessel off a rocky coast and threatened to drive it and its passengers to destruction.
In the midst of the terror, one daring man, contrary to orders, went to the deck, made a dangerous passage to the pilot house and saw the steerman, at his post holding the wheel unwaveringly, and inch by inch, turning the ship out, once more, to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled.
Then, the daring passenger went below and gave out a note of cheer: “I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well.”
In a similar manner, God smiles on us. All is well.
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A SONG OF DEGREES OF DAVID. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Napoleon’s horse was once startled and raced away out of the control of the famous general. An alert private mounted his horse and quickly brought Napoleon’s horse under control. Napoleon responded, “Thank you, Captain.” The soldier was taken aback, yet saluted and snapped, “Thank you, sir.”
He immediately headed for his barracks, packed his bags and moved into the officers’ quarters.
He requested a new uniform also. By the general’s word, his rank changed.
He didn’t argue or question—the one with the authority had spoken. He accepted that authority.
By His death on the cross, and by His authority—we are saved. Not only is our rank changed from lost to saved—so is our eternal destiny. The One with the authority has spoken.
Scripture:
Romans 13:6-7
For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
So, you’re having a rough day— Who and what are you comparing it to? You woke up this morning, millions didn’t.
Did you sleep in a car last night, millions were homeless. Did you have more good health than sickness?, so many don’t. Do you have a bank account, food in a cabinet or refrigerator?
What to do when you are feeling sorry for yourself… Go to the hospital, nursing home, funeral home, junenile detention home (while there be glad your loved ones aren’t there). Go visit some old folks and just listen, they don’t need you to say anything. Have you still got your right mind? I know several folks who don’t. They were once smart, maybe smarter than you and me.
Pity Parties…Has anyone ever attended any you have had. If they did I’m sure they didn’t stay long. If you have success with feeling sorry for yourself, go for it…as for me, count me out. Even Job in the Bible, with all his troubles, was required to stand on his feet like a man.
Try to make someone else happy and to feel important–There is not any way to make someone else happy and not get some of it for yourself.
The day you learn to get your mind off yourself long enough to think of others, is the day your life will take on a different meaning. A life of serving others makes a very rich, fulfilling life.
Be Positive—When you get negativity out of your life, take notice how others react to you.
You’ll see a great difference! You will never want to go back to the old way.
Play more offense and less defense…Michael Jordan remarked that too many players at the end of the game were concentrating on not losing, rather than on winning. Some are thinking so heavily on reacting, that they are not nearly proactive as they need to be. Instead of waiting on someone else to initiate the mood (your mood), try setting the tone to the one you want. You have a choice, don’t let anyone or anything take that from you.
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And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
— An empathetic person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”
— An objective person walked by and said, “It’s logical that someone would fall down there.”
— A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”
—Confucius .”
— A mathematician calculated how deep the pit was.
— A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.
— An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
— A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.”
— A fire-and-brimstone preacher said, “You deserve your pit.”
— Another observed, “The pit is just in your mind.”
— A psychologist noted, “Your mother and father are to blame for your being in that pit.”
— A self-esteem therapist said, “Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit.”
— A Scientist calculated the pressure in pounds per square inch to get him out of the pit.
— An evolutionist said: “You are a rejected mutant destined to be removed from the evolutionary cycle.” In other words, he is going to die in the pit, so that he cannot produce any “pit-falling offspring.”
— A bureaucrat asked if he had a permit to dig a pit.
— A professor gave him a lecture on: “The Elementary Principles of the Pit.”
— A realist said, “That’s a PIT!”
— An optimist said, “Things could be worse.”
— A pessimist claimed, “Things will get worse.”
Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
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John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis
Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City.
He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day
he was shipped overseas for service in World War II. During the next year and one month the
two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart.
A romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting – 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen.
I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:
“A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay
back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a
gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward
her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured. Almost uncontrollably, I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell.
She was standing almost direcdy behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gende and sensible, her gray eyes had awarm and kindly twinkle. I did not
hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identity me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even
better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my
shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt
choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. “I’m Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you
must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?”
The woman’s face broadened into a tolerant smile. “I don’t know what this is about, son,” she
answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this
rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should tell you that she is
waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
It’s not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell’s wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. “Tell me whom you love,” Houssaye wrote, and I will tell you who you are!
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When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
“Excuse me,” Governor Herter said, “do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?”
“Sorry,” the woman told him. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.”
“But I’m starved,” the governor said.
“Sorry,” the woman said again. “Only one to a customer.”
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around.
“Do you know who I am?” he said. “I am the governor of this state.”
“Do you know who I am?” the woman said. “I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister.”
Scripture:
Philippians 2:1-4
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Humor:
Farmer Joe decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. “Didn’t you
say at the sceneof the accident, ‘I’m fine’?”, asked the lawyer.
Farmer Joe responded, “Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the…”
“I didn’t ask for anydetails,” the lawyer interrupted, “just answer the question. Did you not say at the scene of the accident. ‘I’m fine’?”
Farmer Joe said, “Well. I had just got Bessie into the trailerandI wasdrivingdowntheroad…”
The lawyer interrupted again and said, “Judge, I am trying to establishthe fact that, at the scene of the accident, this mantold the highway patrolman onthe scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he
is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.”
By this time the judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and said to the lawyer, “I’d like to hear what the man has to say.”
Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded, “Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie into the trailer and
was driving her down the highway when this huge semi- truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ol’ Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a highway patrolman came on t h e scene. He could hear Bessie moaning andgroaning so he went over to her. After he looked
at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the
eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me.”
He said, “Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot him, how are you feeling?
If you can’t find five minutes, can you spare just two or three?
This Sports Icon Didn’t Make the Team
If there’s one name you would not associate with failure, it’s probably Michael Jordan. But Michael Jordan’s story is one of overcoming, too. His path to success wasn’t easy and straightforward.
I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Michael Jordan
When Michael Jordan’s high school cut him from the basketball team his sophomore year. He worked hard and moved his way up over the years, but he stayed humble. In fact, he attributes his success to failure.
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