One Guy Didn’t

Three guys were tried for crimes against humanity.
Two guys committed crimes.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys were given government trials.
Two guys had fair trials.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys were whipped and beaten.
Two guys had it coming.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys were given crosses to carry.
Two guys earned their crosses.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys were mocked and spit at along the way.
Two guys cursed and spit back.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys were nailed to crosses.
Two guys deserved it.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys agonized over their abandonment.
Two guys had reason to be abandoned.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys talked while hanging on their crosses.
Two guys argued.
One guy didn’t.

Three guys knew death was coming.
Two guys resisted.
One guy didn’t.

One.
Two.
Three guys died on three crosses.

Cowboy in Church

One Sunday morning the congregation of a ritzy church (with vaulted ceilings, hand carved oak pews, stained glass windows and deep plush carpet) had a stir.

A man came in just minutes before the service was to begin and he was dressed horribly. He had on boots, overalls, a flannel shirt, and a cowboy hat.

The congregation was aghast! Many quickly sent notes to the minister about this concern. At the end of the service the minister greeted the humbly dressed man and asked him if he enjoyed the service.

The man exclaimed that he enjoyed it very much. The minister asked the man to consider possibly dressing differently, and told him to pray to Jesus about how he would have him dress if he should return again.

The next week the man returned. He was dressed the same and once again the congregation was disturbed.

Unconditional Acceptance

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called “Smile.” The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special play time with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch…an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

The Power of God

Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to…THAT’S GOD…he wants you to talk to him.

Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone you care for…THAT’S GOD…he talks to you through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven’t seen in a long time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone call from them…THAT’S GOD…there is no such thing as “coincidence.”

Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn’t even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you wanted, but couldn’t afford…THAT’S GOD…he knows the desires of your heart…

Is Your Bag Heavy Enough?

One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes. For every person we’d refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy.

We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.

The hassle of lugging this around with us made it clear what a weight we were carrying spiritually, and how we had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget, and keep leaving it in embarrassing places.

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