This is a collection of those stories that either come into your life at just the right time, or when the right time comes, you re-read them or think about them again. I've collected these from various places. You may have seen some of them before. Maybe you are going through a time in your life where you would like to see them again or share them with a friend. So go ahead and read them again, and God bless you!
The Lord is my Shepherd, I Shall not Want
The
Ant and the Contact Lens
A
true story by Josh and Karen Zarandona
Brenda
was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared
to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of
her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the
face of rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she
was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked
out her contact lens. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet
below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and
looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there.
Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began
to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got
to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there
was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of
the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.
She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible
verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the
whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these
mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my
contact lens is. Please help me.
Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a
new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them
shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?"
Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw
it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it. Brenda
told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible
story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an
ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I
don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's
awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for
You."
I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I
don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and
it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will."
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Author Unknown
The young mother set her foot on the path of life. " Is this the long way?" she asked. And her guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams, and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said," This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."
And the next day came strange clouds, which darkened the earth --- clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said," This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."
And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old...and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.
And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said," You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."
Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks, she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every teardrop.
She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you...Not time, not space...not even death!
Author Unknown
Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put It on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later."? Or has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need."? Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also the way you pray. You will be blessed by this one.
A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan... "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital. Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.
Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.'" At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone out in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'" At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day that this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story: "On the night of you incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?" The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were-he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26".
This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it. Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of hell.
I encourage you to forward this to as many people as you know. If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world towards Christ once again. As the above true story clearly illustrates, "with God all things are possible" and more importantly, how God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.
After you read this, give God thanks for the beautiful gift of your faith, for the powerful gift of prayer, and for the many miracles He works in your own daily life...
Author Unknown
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver, and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me." After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees.
When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard. The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one," and he cut it down. When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep.
While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace," and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
Author Unknown
During the waning years of the depression in a small Southeastern Idaho
community, I used to stop by Brother Miller's roadside stand for farm-fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still
extremely scarce and bartering was used, extensively. One particular day Brother Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small
boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a
basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas
and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Brother Miller and the ragged boy next to me.
"Hello Barry, how are you today?"
"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus'admirin' them peas. Sure look good."
"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?"
"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
"Would you like to take some home?"
"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"
"All I got's my prize marble here."
"Is that right? Let me see it."
"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
"I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?"
"Not 'zackley, but almost."
"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."
"Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller."
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said,
"There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor
circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes or whatever.
When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like
red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange
one, perhaps." I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time
later I moved to Utah but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys and their bartering.
Several years went by each more rapid than the previous one.
Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I
was there learned that Brother Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening
and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon our arrival at the
mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words
of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform
and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...very professional looking.
They approached Mrs. Miller, standing smiling and composed, by her husband's casket. Each
of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on
to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped
briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the
mortuary, awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I
was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. Eyes glistening she took my
hand and led me to the casket.
"Those three young men, that just left, were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size...they came to pay their debt. We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but, right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho."
With loving gentleness she lifted
the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three,
magnificently shiny, red marbles.
Isn't it true ? Our words may go forgotten, but by our kind deeds will long be remembered.
Author Unknown
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food.
The next morning
the man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The
next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island,
there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food.
The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second
man still had nothing. Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship
docked at his side of the island.
The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to
receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered. As the
ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming,
"Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them", the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which was answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my
blessings."
"Tell me", the first man asked the voice, "What did he pray for that should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers
alone, but those of another praying for us.
Author Unknown
The young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in
prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this
room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told.
Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible.
Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he
whispered.
And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people
are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
YOUR CROSS
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine after the rain.
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,
But God's always there to help you through it all.
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and one for another, that ye may be
healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Romans 10:16
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace.
Author Unknown
A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver.
The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend.
The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend's sermons, but he
heard them often.
One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were
all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of
light to practice by.
The young man climbed up to the highest diving board and as he turned his back to the pool
on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The
shadow of his body, was in the shape of a cross.
Instead of diving, he knelt down and finally asked God to come into his life.
As the young man stood, a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on. The pool
had been drained for repairs.
I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me. Phil 4:13
Author Unknown
When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood.
I remember well the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on
the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with
fascination when my mother used to talk to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside
the wonderful device lived an amazing person --- her name was "Information Please"
and there was nothing she did not know.
"Information Please" could supply anybody's number and the correct time. My first personal
experience with this genie-in-the-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor.
Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer. The
pain was terrible, but there didn't seem to be any reason in crying because there was no
one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally
arriving at the stairway. The telephone!
Quickly, I ran for the foot stool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up,
I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear.
"Information Please," I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a
small clear voice spoke into my ear. "Information." "I hurt my finger..." I wailed into
the phone. The tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.
"Isn't your mother home?" came the question.
"Nobody's home but me," I blubbered.
"Are you bleeding?" the voice asked.
"No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts."
"Can you open your icebox?" she asked.
I said I could.
"Then chip off a little piece of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice. After that,
I called "Information Please" for everything.
I asked her for help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped
me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk, that I had caught in the park just the day
before, would eat fruit and nuts.
Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary died. I called "Information Please" and told
her the sad story. She listened, then said the usual things grown ups say to soothe a
child. But I was unconsoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring
joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?"
She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "Paul, always remember that
there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt better.
Another day I was on the telephone. "Information Please."
"Information," said the now familiar voice.
"How do you spell fix?" I asked. All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest.
When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very
much. Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never
thought of trying the tall, shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall.
As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me.
Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had
then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time
on a little boy.
A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about half
an hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived
there now. Then, without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and
said, "Information Please." Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well.
"Information." I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, "Could you please tell me
how to spell fix?" There was a long pause.
Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have healed by now."
I laughed, "So it's really still you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you
meant to me during that time."
I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your calls meant to me. I never had any children
and I used to look forward to your calls."
I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again
when I came back to visit my sister.
"Please do," she said. "Just ask for Sally."
Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered, "Information." I asked
for Sally.
"Are you a friend?" she said. "Yes, a very old friend," I answered.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she said. "Sally had been working part time the last
few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago." Before I could hang up she said,
"Wait a minute. Did you say your name was Paul?"
"Yes."
Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it
to you. The note said, "Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know
what I mean." I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant. Never under-estimate the
impression you may make on others.
Whose life have you touched today?
Author Unknown
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. 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, of a night. 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 to the door, 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.
He 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, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed
him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid 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 she 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 she took a big old Bible
and sat down in front of him and she looked up at and she asked, "Do you understand John 3:16?" He said, "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 she 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. I don't understand it, but
it but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe."
You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God would be willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do
such a thing. I don't understand it either, but it sure does make life worth living.
John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
