GIVING BLOOD

Donating Life

A little girl was ill in hospital with a rare blood disorder and was badly in need of a blood donor but a match could not be found. As a last resort, her six year old brother was checked as a match and much to everyone’s relief, he was.
Both his mother and Doctor sat the little boy down and explained how they would like his blood to help his sister so she would not die.
The little boy waited a few moments then asked if he could think about it.
It wasn’t the reaction the mother or Doctor expected but they agreed……
The following day the little boy sat in front of the Doctor with his mother and said he agreed to give his sister what she needed.
The hospital staff moved quickly for his sister was fading quite fast.
So the little boy could understand what was happening, he was placed in a bed next to his sister and so the transfusion began. Quickly, the color and life began flooding back into the little girl and every one was overjoyed.
The little boy turned to the Doctor and quietly asked, “How long will it be before I die?”

You see, the little boy thought that by giving his blood, he was giving his own life, which is why he took a little time to think about it……….

A parable on the Vital Thread THAT JOINS US

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. What food might this contain?’ The mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning:

There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!’

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, ‘Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.’

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, ‘There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!’ The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.’

The mouse turned to the cow and said ‘There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!’  The cow said, ‘Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.’

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap . . . alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house — like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught.   In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail was caught by the trap. The snake bit the farmer’s wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.

But his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.

To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer’s wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral; the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn’t concern you, remember —-when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Remember:
Each of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry. Our lives are woven together for a reason. One of the best things to hold onto in this world is a friend!!!

Growing Roots

Growing in Wisdom and Faith

DON’T GIVE UP
One day I decided to quit… I quit my job, my relationships, my spirituality… I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. “God”, I asked, “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?” His answer surprised me… “Look around”, He said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?” “Yes”, I replied.
“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. It’s brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said. “In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, therewas nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit.” He said. “Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant…But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge itcould not handle.” He asked me. “Did you know,my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”. “I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.” “Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.””Your time will come”, God said to me. “You will rise high”
“How high should I rise?” I asked.
“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.
“As high as it can?” I questioned. “Yes.” He said, “Give me glory by rising as
high as you can.”
I hope these words can help you persevere through your problems and to overcome them in time.Are you rooted in God? Every reading of God’s Word, every act of obedience to Him,  every trial you endure, every experience in your life, builds you and roots you in faith and is not meant to destroy you.
Never, Never, Never Give up..Don’t tell the Lord how big the problem is; tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

WHEN YOUR HUT IS ON FIRE

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for GOD to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, “GOD! How could you do this to me?”
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It’s easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn’t lose heart, because GOD is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of GOD.

THE PACK OF BISCUITS

One night there was a woman at the airport who had to wait for several hours before catching her next flight. While she waited she bought a book and a pack of biscuits to spend the time. She looked for a place to sit and waited. She was deep into her book, when suddenly she realized that there was a young man sitting next to her who was stretching his hand, with no concern whatsoever, and grabbing the pack of cookies lying between them. The young man opened the pack and ate one. Not wanting to make a fuss about it she decided to ignore him and also picked one. They went on picking the biscuits alternately as she watched the clock. Finally as her flight was called the shameless thief of biscuits took the last biscuit, broke it into two and offered her one. The woman started to get really angry at this point and thought, “If I wasn’t such a good and educated person, I would have given this daring man a black eye by now.” She grabbed her bags and went towards the boarding gate, refusing to look back to where that insolent thief was seated.

After boarding the plane and taking a seat, the woman looked for her book which was nearly finished by now. She was totally surprised to find her pack of biscuits act. If my biscuits are here, she thought feeling terribly ashamed, those others were his and he tried to share them with me. Too late to apologize to the young man, she realized with pain, that it was her who had been an insolent, uneducated  thief, and not him!!

SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY
How many times in our lives, had we known with certainty that something happened in a certain way, only to discover later that it wasn’t true?
How many times has lack of trust within us made us judge other people unfairly with our conceited ideas, often far away from reality!
That is why we have to think twice before we judge others. Let’s always give others the benefit of the doubt before we think badly of them!

BLESSINGS COME WRAPPED DIFFERENTLY

A young man getting ready to graduate had for many months admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible. He did not contact his father for a long time.

Many years passed and the young man was doing well in his business. He started missing his father and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to him. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father’s house, sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father’s important papers and saw the Bible just as he had left it years ago.With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he did this, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss GOD’S blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

A PARABLE TO PONDER…

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.
The King’s 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, “I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I’ll be all alone.”
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, “I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?”
“No way!”, replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.
Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart. The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, “I have loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?”
“No!”, replied the 3rd wife. “Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to remarry!” His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, “I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!”, replied the 2nd wife. “At the very most, I can only accompany you to your grave.” Her answer came like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.
Then a voice called out: “I’ll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go.” The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was so skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.
Greatly grieved, the King said, “I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!”
In truth, we all have 4 wives in our lives: Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good or feel good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.
However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.