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Saturday, December 17, 2022

Rest Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Rest

Relaxation
Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgment…Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller, and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen.” These are the words of Leonardo da Vinci, and no idler he; he excelled as a painter, sculptor, poet, architect, engineer, city planner, scientist, inventor, anatomist, military genius, and philosopher.

Rest in Six Aspects
  • Creation rest, broken by sin Genesis 2:2
  • Redemption rest, secured in Christ Zeph. 3:17
  • The sinner’s rest, by coming to Christ Matt. 11:28
  • The saint’s rest, in communion with Christ Mark 6:30
  • Paradise rest, present Rev. 16:13 and 2 Cor. 5:1-8
  • Eternal rest, future Heb. 4:9; Rev. 22:5
From the Book of 750 Bible and Gospel Studies, 1909, George W Noble, Chicago

Meaning of the Unstrung Bow
According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.
Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, “Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies.”
The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”
People are also like that. That’s why we all need to take time to rest. In today’s Scripture, Jesus prescribed time off for His wearied disciples after they had returned from a prolonged period of ministry. And in the Old Testament, God set a pattern for us when He “rested from all His work” (Gen. 2:3).
Shouldn’t we take His example seriously? Start by setting aside a special time to relax physically and renew yourself emotionally and spiritually. You will be at your best for the Lord if you have taken time to loosen the bow.
Our Daily Bread, June 6, 1994

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Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;And the government will rest on His shoulders;And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Psalms 116:7 (NIV) Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
Exodus 33:14 (NIV) The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Hebrews 4:9-10 (NIV) There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
Psalm 127:2 ESV It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Psalm 4:8 ESV In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Exodus 33:14 ESV And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Mark 6:31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!



You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




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Saturday, October 15, 2011

Jeopardy Question Nobody could answer.

The Jeopardy Question Nobody could answer.

ARLINGTON CEMETERY

Jeopardy Question: On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was "How many steps does the guard take during his walk  across the tomb of the Unknowns"---- All three contestants missed it!

 This is really an awesome sight to watch if you' ve never had the chance. Very fascinating.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier





1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps: It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.





 2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1



3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.





4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and, if not, why not?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.




5. How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.






6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30. They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb... There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery . A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe Lewis {the boxer} Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.





ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm.. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment.

They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.




God Bless and keep them.
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Monday, February 14, 2000

Seven Ages of the Married Cold

This is not to say it is the way it should be, but challenging to make it better.

Seven Ages of the Married Cold
-----------------------------------------

1st year--The husband says, "Oh, sweete pie, I'm really worried about those nasty sniffles you have! There's no telling what that could turn into with all the strep that's been going around. I'm going to take you right down to the hospital and have you admitted for a couple days of rest. I know the food is lousy there, so I'm going to bring you some takeout from Tosini's. I've already arranged it with the head nurse."

2nd year--"Listen, honey, I don't like the sound of that cough. I called the doc and he's going to stop by here and take a look at you. Why don't you just go on to bed and get the rest you need?"

3rd year--"Maybe you better go lie down, darling. When you feel lousy you need the rest. I'll bring you something - do we have any canned soup around here?"

4th year--"No sense wearing yourself out when you're under the weather. When you finish those dishes and the kids' baths and get them to bed, you ought to go to bed yourself!"

5th year--"Why don't you take a couple aspirin?"

6th year--"You oughta go gargle or something, instead of sitting around barking like a dog!"

7th year--"For pete's sake, stop sneezing. Are you trying to give me pneumonia? You'd better pick up some tissues while you're at the store.

Warmly,
Kevin Rayner
November 10, 2000





A judge was interviewing a man regarding her pending divorce, and asked, "What are the grounds for your divorce?" 

He replied, "About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by." 

"No," he said, "I mean what is the foundation of this case?" 

"It is made of concrete, brick and mortar," he responded. 

"I mean," he continued, "What are your relations like?" 

"I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, and so do my wife's parents." 

He said, "Do you have a real grudge?" 

"No," he replied, "We have a two-car carport and have never really needed one." 

"Please," he tried again, "is there any infidelity in your marriage?" 

"Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don't necessarily like the music, but the answer to your questions is yes." 

Finally, in frustration, the judge asked, "Sir, why do you want a divorce?" 

"Oh, I don't want a divorce," he replied. "I've never wanted a divorce. My wife does. She claims she's having difficulty communicating with me!"
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Saturday, December 03, 2022

Promise Illustrations

Teaching Illustrations About Promise

Promises From God
Our Daily Bread, January 1, 1985

A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim.
  • God’s presence— “I will never leave thee” (Heb. 13:5)
  • God’s protection—”I am thy shield” (Gen. 15:1)
  • God’s power—”I will strengthen thee” (Isa. 41:10)
  • God’s provision—”I will help thee” (Isa. 41:10)
  • God’s leading—”And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” (John 10:4)
  • God’s purposes— “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jer. 29:11)
  • God’s rest—”Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)
  • God’s cleansing— “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
  • God’s goodness— “No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly” (Psalm 84:11)
  • God’s faithfulness—”The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake” (1 Sam. 12:22)
  • God’s guidance—”The meek will He guide” (Psalm 25:9)
  • God’s wise plan—”All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28)

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#Scripture
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
James 1:12 Happy the man who doth endure temptation, because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of the life, which the Lord did promise to those loving Him.
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/words/Promise/sort/popular
2 Peter 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Galatians 3:18 (NIV) For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
Psalms 106:12 (NIV) Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.
Joshua 21:45 (NIV) Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




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Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Parenting Illustrations

 Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Parenting

What's the most important thing a parent can do for a child? Recently I was reading about a boy who grew up in a small farming community in Georgia. He was pretty much a loner. He wasn't a great-looking guy and he didn't have a lot of friends. He liked to write and read poetry, and that was probably because he had a speech impediment and could barely put a sentence together. His teacher didn't pay a. Lot of attention to him and his grades were poor. But his parents wouldn't let him quit on himself. They kept saying you're going to simply have to work a little harder. God loves you, and we're proud of you. So he did work hard, he started making A's in school. At 12 years old, he set a goal of 100,000 pushups and 100,000 sit-ups a year. From then on. His name was Herschel Walker. He graduated valedictorian in high school and in 1982, he won the Heisman Trophy while playing football for the University of Georgia. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1986, and he led the NFL in rushing. His secret of success, he says I felt loved by my parents and loved by God, so I felt good about myself and I was willing to work hard. You think about that! 

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Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:4 ESV Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
1 Timothy 5:8 ESV But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Colossians 3:21 ESV Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Exodus 20:12 ESV “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Proverbs 29:17 ESV Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.





You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




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Thursday, January 12, 2023

Emotions Illustrations

 Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Emotions 

Pitch for Teamwork
The Executive Speaker, Bits & Pieces, November 10, 1994, pp.20-21

In a speech before regional community leaders in Kingsport, Tennessee, Ernie Deavenport, chairman and CEO of Eastman Chemical Company, made a pitch for cooperation and teamwork between his company and the community leaders. To highlight his message, he told this story about a Little League coach:
At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his young players, “Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is'
The little boy nodded in the affirmative.
“Do you understand that what matters is whether we win together as a team?”
The little boy nodded yes.
“So,” the coach continued, “when a strike is called, or you’re out at first, you don’t argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?”
Again, the little boy nodded.
“Good,” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain it to your mother.”



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Proverbs 29:11 ESV A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Romans 12:15 ESV Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Psalms 7:9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. The One who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God.
Lamentations 1:20 “See, O Lord, how distressed I am! My spirit is deeply disturbed; My heart is overturned within me and cannot rest, For I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword kills and bereaves; In the house, there is [famine, disease and] death!
Lamentations 2:11 My eyes are worn out from crying, my insides are churning, My emotions pour out in grief because my people are destroyed Children and infants faint in the streets of the city.
1 Corinthians 2:4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom [using clever rhetoric], but [they were delivered] in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit [operating through me] and of [His] power [stirring the minds of the listeners and persuading them],
Genesis 45:1 At this point, Joseph could not control his emotions any longer, so he cried out to everyone who was standing nearby, "Everybody! Leave me!" As a result, none of his staff was anywhere near him when he revealed himself to his brothers.
Job 15:12 Why have your emotions carried you away? And why do your eyes flash



You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




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Friday, December 16, 2022

Help Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Help

Is Anyone Up There?
A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet. He couldn't hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something. "HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? HELP!

He yelled for hours, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice.

"Jack, Jack. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes! I can hear you. I'm down here!"

"I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?"

"Yes, but . . . Who are you, and where are you?"

"I am the Lord, Jack. I'm everywhere."

"The Lord? You mean, GOD?"

"That's Me."

"God, please help me! I promise if You'll get me down from here, I'll stop sinning. I'll be a really good person. I'll serve You for the rest of my life."

"Easy on the promises, Jack. Let's just get you down from there; then we can talk. Now, here's what I want you to do. Listen carefully."

"I'll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do."

"Okay. Let go of the branch."

"What?"

"I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go."

There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, "HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?"

Have you ever felt like Jack? We say that we want to know the will of God, but when we find out what it is, we can't handle it. It sounds too scary, too difficult. We decide to look elsewhere. When He says, "Let go of the things that stand between you and Me, and trust Me with your life," it sounds pretty scary. But when we let go, we find freedom and safety in His hands."

Source unknown

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You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




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Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Pressure Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Pressure



Edmond Church Family,

Hope you're having a great week!

We got an Instant Pot for Christmas. It’s great, you can cook frozen chicken in a matter of minutes, and it’s edible! I even eat something called Quinoa cooked in this modern multi-cooker, and it actually tastes good.

The Instant Pot looks like a reinforced crockpot with a bomb timer slapped on the front of it. Evidently, it cooks using extremely high pressure. When the timer goes off, and the food is done, we release the pressure valve and watch as a steady flow of steam spews into the air. Without removing the pressure, opening the pot would be disastrous.

It appears that some of us are like Instant Pots right now. After a long year of uncertainty and unforeseen challenges, there seems to be a lot of pressure building up.

Many of us are just holding it all in and may not even know it. Unless we have a healthy and safe way to release the pressure, sooner or later we will explode. Maybe you’ve been there recently.

You lose your patience with a store clerk.

You rant and rave about something unimportant. 

You explode at your spouse or child.

You feel a wave of road rage wash over you.

You burst into tears.

You scream and yell. Or just the opposite, you shut down emotionally.

You say things you later regret.

You react impulsively. 

While you may feel better in that instant (see what I did there?), your actions and words cause damage. Relationships suffer. People get hurt. Unity and progress are impeded. Damage is done.

Maybe right now is a good time for an honest self-assessment. How are you doing…how are you really doing? 

Do you feel overly stressed? Are you allowing challenges and adversity to gnaw at you? Are people getting under your skin? Is there a chance you are stuffing all the anxiety and uncertainty of a challenging year or a difficult situation deep inside as you try to keep moving forward?  

Sooner or later—unless you deal with the sources and symptoms of your stress and find a safe way to release the building pressure—you’re going to explode. 

Before you say or do something harmful, please do something helpful. 

Talk to a trusted friend or counselor. Pray, fast, and participate in other spiritual disciplines. Get moving and get some sleep. Build in Sabbath rest. But most of all, lean on God.

A short verse in the passage I plan to preach on this Sunday as we conclude our “Exiles” series tells us, very simply, what to do with all that pressure, all that stress and all that frustration: 

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

In one short inspired verse of scripture we are told what to do and why to do it. Recognize the pressure building up inside you and the burden of stress you are carrying, and let go of it. All of it.

More specifically, give it to God. Let him take it off your shoulders and out of your heart, and let Him replace it with healing and hope.

Cast your anxiety on him. That’s the what, but even more notably, here’s the why: “…because he cares for you.” 

God cares deeply for you. He cares that you are carrying what feels like the weight of the world. He cares that you are going through a tough time. God cares that you are hurting, or grieving or struggling. He cares that you have experienced great loss or that you can’t seem to catch a break.

He hurts with you and cares for you. 

God wants to carry what is weighing you down. Jesus already bore your greatest burden when he willingly went to the cross. He removed the sins that separate you from God.

Not only is God’s care for you unmatched, his strength is unequaled. No burden you are trying to carry is too heavy for him. So give it to him, and leave it with him. Don’t take it back. You can trust God.

Letting pressure continue to build will only result in a destructive explosion. God wants to help you, so just let him. 

Hope you’ll join us for worship Sunday.
Grace & Peace,
Randy 


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2 Corinthians 9:7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
2 Corinthians 11:28 - And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Proverbs 24:10 If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.
Psalms 32:4 (MSG) The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.
Psalms 32:5 (MSG) Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll come clean about my failures to God .” Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
Judges 20:45 (MSG) Five divisions turned to escape to the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock, but the Israelites caught and slaughtered them on roads. Keeping the pressure on, the Israelites brought down two more divisions.
Revelation 2:13 (MSG) “I see where you live, right under the shadow of Satan’s throne. But you continue boldly in my Name; you never once denied my Name, even when the pressure was worst, when they martyred Antipas, my witness who stayed faithful to me on Satan’s turf.
James 1:2 Trials and Temptations Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
Romans 5:3 And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance;
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Pressure
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/search?q=Pressure
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/words/Pressure/sort/popular

Logos Dictionary Themes
A state of personal anxiety, strain or tension resulting from the pressures of human life. 
But God cannot ignore sin and will not. He brings pressure upon us, often very acute pressure, until we acknowledge the sin, confess it, and return to him. --James Montgomery Boice

You Think About It!
Kevin Rayner


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Saturday, October 15, 2011

The cab ride

The Cab Ride

I arrived at the address and honked the horn.  after waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.


After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.


By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.


There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.


'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.


She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.


She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her... 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'


'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said.When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'


'It's not the shortest way,'I answered quickly..


'Oh, I don't mind,' she said.'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.


I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.


'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.


For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.


We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.


Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.


As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.


We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.


Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were Solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.


I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.


'How much do I owe you?' 
She asked, reaching into her purse.


'Nothing,' I said


'You have to make a living,' she answered.


'There are other passengers,' I responded.


Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.


'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.'Thank you.'


I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life..

  I didn't  pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that  day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had  gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?


On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.


We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.


But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.


PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.


Life 
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we 
are here we might as well dance.
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

TWO HORSES

There is a field, with two horses in it.



From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.  But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something  quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a  good home for him.



This alone is amazing.

If you stand nearby and  listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source  of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the  field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.



As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see that  the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that  the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the  horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.




Like the owner of these two horses, God does not throw  us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind  horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others  to find their way....

Good  friends are like that... you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

And remember...be kinder  than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak  kindly.....
Leave the rest to God...  
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Thursday, December 01, 2022

Care illustrations

Illustrations About Care


*Clickable Links Are Blue with Underlines:


Video


Church Songs?

#Care
#Careful
#Caring
#Carefully
#Carefulness
#Carelessness
#Caregiver
#Caretaker

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some as Apostles, and some, prophets; and some, preachers of the good news; and some to give care and teaching;
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are troubled and weighted down with care, and I will give you rest.
2 Timothy 2:15 Let it be your care to get the approval of God, as a workman who has no cause for shame, giving the true word in the right way.
Matthew 6:33 But let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you in addition.
Acts 20:28 Take care and be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God which He bought with His own blood.
James 1:27 A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Acts 6:1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was increasing, protests were made by the Greek Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were not taken care of in the distribution of food every day.
Luke 12:15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Psalms 55:22 (NIV) Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Philippians 2:4 ESV Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Ephesians 4:32 ESV Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/words/Care/sort/popular




You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




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