For we walk by faith, not by sight

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.

He is required to sit on a log the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it.

He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises.

Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm.

The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold.

It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.

It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the log next to him.

He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone.

Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us.

When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

If you liked this story, pass it on.

If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn.

Moral of the story:

Just because you can't see God,

Doesn't mean He is not there.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

A sad but True Love Story

One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walked into a lawyer’s office. Apparently, they were there to file a divorce.

The lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he understood their story….This couple had been quarrelling throughout their 40 over years of marriage and nothing ever seemed to go right.

They held on because of their children, afraid that it would have affected their up-bringing. All their children have already grown up, have their own family, there’s nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted was to lead their own life free from all the years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agreed on a divorce.

The lawyer was having a hard time trying to get the papers done, because he felt that after 40 yrs of marriage at the age of 70, he couldn’t understand why the old couple would still want a divorce.

While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband,

“I really love you, but I really can’t carry on anymore, I’m sorry.” “It’s ok, I understand,” said the husband. Hearing this, the lawyer suggested a dinner together, just the three of them. The wife thought, why not, since they would still be friends.

At the dining table, there was a silence of awkwardness.

The first dish was roasted chicken, immediately, the old man took the drumstick for the old lady, “take this, it’s your favourite.”

Looking at this, the lawyer thought maybe there was still a chance, but the wife was frowning when she answered, ‘This is always the problem, you always think so highly of yourself, never thought about how I feel, don’t you know that I hate drumsticks?”

Little did she know that, over the years, the husband was trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks was the husband’s favourite. Little did he know that she never thought he understood her at all, little did he know that she hated drumsticks even though all he wanted was the best for her.

That night, both of them couldn’t sleep, tossed and turned, tossed and turned…after hours, the old man couldn’t take it anymore, he knew that he still loved her, and he could not carry on with his life without her, he wanted her back, he wanted to tell her, he’s sorry, he wanted to tell her “I love you”…

He picked up the phone, started dialling her number. The phone was ringing non-stop. He never stopped dialling.

On the other side, she was sad, she couldn’t understand how come after all these years, he didn’t understand her at all, she loved him a lot, but she just couldn’t take it anymore. The phone was ringing; she refused to answer knowing that it’s him. “What’s the point of talking now that it’s over. I have asked for it and now I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face.” She thought. The phone was still ringing…she decided to pull out the cord.

Little did she remember, he had heart problems…

The next day, she received news that he had passed away…she rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone…he had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through her phone line.

As sad as she could be…she began clearing his belongings. When she was looking through the drawers, she discovered this insurance policy, dated on the day they got married, and she being the beneficiary… And clipped together in that file, there was this note…

“To my dearest wife, by the time you’re reading this, I’m sure I’m no longer around, I bought this policy for you, though the amount is only $100k, I hope this will help you and I still can continue my promise that was made when we got married. I might not be around anymore, I want this amount of money to continue providing for you, just like the way I would if I could have live longer. I want you to know that I will always be around, by your side… I LOVE YOU SWEET HEART”.

 

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle; When 24 Hours in a day is not enough; Remember the Mayonnaise Jar and 2 cups of coffee.

READ ON TO FIND OUT THE MORAL OF THE STORY.

A professor stood before his philosophy class.   He had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.  He then asked the students, if the jar was full. 

They agreed that it was.  The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full. 

They agreed it was.  The professor next picked up a box of sand, and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. 

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'  The professor then produced, this time, two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar ... effectively filling the empty spaces between the sand. 

The students laughed.  'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided. 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life’.

‘The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions.’  ‘Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full’.  ‘The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, house, and car’.  ‘The sand is everything else, the small stuff’.  'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls’.  ‘The same goes for life... if you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff; you will never have room for the things that are important to you’.  So...the Professor continued ... ‘Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness;  Play with your children;  Take time to get medical checkups; Take your partner out to dinner’.  ‘There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal,’ he added.  'Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter.  Set your priorities - the rest is just sand.'  One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.  The professor smiled. 

'I'm glad you asked'  the Professor responded. ‘It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life  may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with  a friend.'  Please share this with other "Golf Balls." - DJJG