Good morning and happy Monday:) It is a beautiful day here in Utah, 41 degrees, and a forecast of snow. I see some of my friends are still in the 80's and am thinking I would like to change places for a bit, I love the mountains and the beauty here but somedays wonder why I put my old bones through the pain of this cold, damp weather!
In prayer this morning as I sat in the silence of the outside, bundled up in my favorite blanket, with of course my matching beanie, I let the silence take me away, my head leaned back against the chair, no noise to speak of, clean air and a crisp chill, I went to other places and happy times through memories. I sat and a few times found myself grinning from ear to ear, I sat and felt my heart feel with happiness to a point of bursting, I sat and reflected on all of the beauty I have now and have had in my life, I went back to the little house in Texas where the 7 of us kids were raised and actually felt that I could smell the wonderful food smells that my mom cooked, hear the laughter and the scuffles, and felt the great love that was housed there. It seemed I had sat there for hours but only had for minutes. The thrill of revisiting other places and times is amazing to me..no matter my mood, I can take this trip down memory lane and it always, Always, ALWAYS...makes me feel better. As I was praying many faces flashed through my mind and I knew that God was letting me know who was in need today, I always make a point to contact each of the ones that flash in my mind just to check in and see if there are any prayer needs that I might help with. I pray that today if someone is heavy on your mind, if you keep feeling the need to call someone, to email or text them, that you will. The Holy Ghost prompts us in so many areas, I am sure we do not even realize he is prompting us on many things. If you are feeling someone, it normally means they are needing you. Let yourself be open to these heavenly suggestions and follow them, you never know when you will be the "difference" in someones day! God bless each of you abundantly and know that you are loved and appreciated.
I am one for inspirational stories, I guess you all know that (smiling) so this morning I would like to share one regarding following promptings..I hope it touches your heart and lets you know that God really does use us as his angels here on earth, if we do not listen we miss out on his blessings!
The Story of Kyle
The Story of Kyle
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up, and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So I jogged over to him, and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before, but we talked all the way home, and I carried his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes.
We hung out all weekend, and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. And my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
On graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than me and all the girls loved him! Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech, so I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach -- but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story." I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture, you can change a person's life.
- Author Unknown -
Dawn, your words, as always are to my senses as is the sweet nectar to the honey bee. Reflection can often be God's way of reconnecting us with people places, and things, and can often foster an atmophere of humility and forgiveness .He brings things to our remembrance, and he sometimes even gives us a new perspective on an old perception. We serve an awesome God.
ReplyDeleteGerald, I have so missed your wonderful words, I think of you often and even though I miss you terribly I understand that sometimes we must step back, regroup to be able to move forward! Love in Christ to you brother:)
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