10-30-10

Here's a little "children's" story that might be good for us bigger kids too. I came up with it after a conversation about how to increase our love for God:

Theodore learns about love
Some time ago, in a small village outside the great city lived a small child named Theodore. His name means “son of a father’s love”. From the time Theodore was born, it was obvious that Theodore loved his parents and his parents loved him.
Most children in the village were well behaved and obeyed their parents while there were a few children that seemed to go out of their way to go against their parents’ wishes. These children openly showed that they didn’t care if they disappointed or saddened their parents.
Some of the more obedient children were well behaved for a number of different reasons. Some, because they feared their parents. Oh, their parents were not mean or evil. It was just that these children seemed to obey their parents only in order to avoid the consequences. Such consequences as getting a spanking or losing privileges. Their motto was “what my parents don’t know won’t hurt me.” They would do all kinds of things their parents wouldn’t approve of and count on their parents not finding out what they had done. They seemed to have very little care about how their parents felt as long as they got their way.
Another group of the village’s obedient children were good only if they were rewarded for it. They would be well behaved as long as their parents paid them for their good behavior and “bribed” the children to “act right”. And mostly it was just an act.
Then there the children, like Theodore, who loved their parents so much that they would do everything possible to make them happy. These children would avoid anything that would make their parents sad or disappointed.
Theodore’s relationship with his parents was based on a deep love and respect for his parents which grew out of the knowledge that his parents loved him more than anything in the world. He avoided doing things he knew his parents wouldn’t approve of not because he might be punished or not get a gift but because he loved them so and didn’t want to make them sad or disappointed in him.
Often, when Theodore woke up in the morning, he would look at all the ways his parents showed their love for him and think to himself “I am such a lucky child to have such wonderful, loving parents. I appreciate them so much and want to do everything I can to show them my love for them.”
One morning he awoke and saw all the things his parents had done to make him safe and healthy. He looked at all the clothes and toys his parents had lovingly provided for him. Then he smelled the breakfast his parents were fixing for him to enjoy and help him grow strong.
He thought to himself “I am truly loved! Today I will make a list of the things my parents do to show their love for me and I will be very careful to show my love for them.
And so he did.
And so can you.

Thank you, God for everything …
The big things and the small,
For “every good gift comes from God,”
The Giver of them all.

And all too often we accept
Without any thanks or praise,
The gifts God sends as blessings
Each day in many ways.

And so at this Thanksgiving time,
We offer up a prayer,
To thank You, God, for giving us
A lot more than our share.

First, thank You for the little things
That often come our way,
The things we take for granted,
But don’t mention when we pray.

The unexpected courtesy,
The thoughtful, kindly deed,
A hand reached out to help us
In the time of sudden need.

Oh, make us more aware, dear God,
Of little daily graces
That come to us with “sweet surprise”
From never-dreamed-of places.

Then, thank You for the “miracles”
We are much too blind to see,
And give us new awareness
Of our many gifts from Thee.

And help us to remember
That the key to life and living,
Is to make each prayer a prayer of thanks
And every day Thanksgiving.

Helen Steiner Rice

no excuses

Ellen & I were recently asked to talk to a young couples class at Park Plaza about "Growing Older Together and Renaining Active Serving God." Well, we've got the "growing older" part down. Don't know about the rest. In the area of service, I think one of the tools the Devil uses most successfully on me is in the area of not being able to do something as well as someone else. "If I can't give them a seven course dinner, I'll just let them starve."

Attached is a poem that has convicted me for a long time. Hope it helps you with your "cup of cold water".

http://www.inspiring-quotes-and-stories.com/be-the-best-of-whatever-you-are.html

God doesn't require us to be great, just available. God loves us anyway.