Good evening! I pray this day has been a wonderful one for you and that you are now settled in and getting some rest and relaxation at home. Today has been off and imbalanced for me, I sat with a friend at the ER over night and did not get much sleep today! I will catch up tonight I bet:) It is once again BIGGEST LOSER night and I am so pleased to say I am back on track and have lost 5 pounds this week! I will not give up or give in...Rome was not built in a week nor me being over weight, it has been a lifelong issue and one that I will overcome...
In prayer this evening I sat in silence and asked God for special prayer for each of your needs, asking God to bless you with a solution to your problems, asking Him to bless your children with his truths and the knowledge that they can achieve all of their life's goals with faith and honor to him. I asked God to bless you with calm in your chaos, with peace in your heart and with comfort in your bodies! I come to you asking for favor for a very sweet lady who is down with pneumonia, and in the hospital, she is the only care give to three children and wants desperately to be home with them, Father God lay your hand upon her chest and clear her lungs. allow her to use your strength as her own so that she can get back on her feet and return home to her children. I come to you asking for your love and mercy upon a little baby who is struggling with life, father hold him in your hands and breath health into his little tiny body, his family has waited anxiously to hold and love him Father. Allow them a healthy little boy to raise with knowledge of you and your love in his life. I ask you to bless my friend who was in the ER last night, touch her stomach and heal her Father as she is in so much pain. Take the bad from her body and allow her 100% health. I also come to you asking to lay calm in the body of a friends son who is having issues with classmates at school, touch him with your love father and lay hands upon those who feel the need to torment him, give them lesson in the golden rule of doing unto others as they would have done to themselves. Father we love you and we know that your will be done in all things, we do not pretend to understand all that happens in our lives but we do believe in and have faith in YOU and know that all things have a reason and are part of your plan for us. In the name of Christ our brother and friend we ask these mercies. Amen.
This story really got me thinking, I put myself in the ladys place and wondered if there is any way I would have done what she did in her position. I would like to think that I would have...but....I am not sure. I will be more mindful in the future for I am sure when He does call upon me, I want to be worthy in every situation!
The Christmas Letter
Ruth went to her mail box on Christmas Eve, and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:
Dear Ruth:
I’m going to be in your neighborhood this Christmas and I’d like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus
Ruth’s hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.” With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
“Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer. It’s already Christmas Eve and the stores will be closing. I’ll have to run down out and buy something for dinner right away.” She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents.
“Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk…leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until next week. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings of a Christmas dinner tucked under her arm.
“Hey lady, can you help us, lady?” Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn’t even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
“Look lady, I ain’t got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living here on the street, and, well, now it’s getting cold and we’re getting kinda hungry and, well, it’s Christmas Eve, if you could help us, lady, we’d really appreciate it.”
Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.
“Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I’m having an important guest for Christmas and I was planning on serving that to Him.”
“Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway”. The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley as a gentle snow began to fall. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
“Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. Look, why don’t you take this food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She handed the man her grocery bag.
“Thank you lady. Thank you very much!” “Yes, thank you!”
Ruth could see now that the woman was shivering.
“You know, I’ve got another coat at home. Here, why don’t you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street …. without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
“Thank you lady! Thank you very much! …. and Merry Christmas!”
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn’t have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
“That’s odd. The mailman doesn’t usually deliver on Christmas Eve.”
She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely Christmas dinner. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus
The air was still cold, and the snow was falling even harder, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
- Author Unknown
No comments:
Post a Comment