Believing
Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>
One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by.
The young man climbed up to the highest diving board and as he turned his back to the pool on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow of his body was in the shape of a cross.
Instead of diving, he knelt down and asked God to come into his life. As the young man stood, a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on. The pool had been drained for repairs.
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<>< Animals Are Parents Too ><>
I want to let you know about an event that changed my life many years ago. It is a memory that periodically comes and goes, but it is one of the most precious memories that me and my wife share. I am thankful that we can remember it together. It's a reminder that things are not what they seem and that angels come in many packages.
We live in College Station, Texas and we were on our way home from Houston, Texas around the Weston Lakes area one Saturday or Sunday morning. And when I say morning, I'm talking 1:00 to 2:00 in the morning. We were on our way home and decided to stop at a local gas station to get coffee and something to snack on since it was a good hour and a half before we got home.
When we were done, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a man standing outside in front of the building. You could tell that he was a homeless man. His clothes were tattered and worn and it looked like he had gone in and gotten him some coffee or something warm to drink since it was cold this time of the year. He must have not had enough money to get something to eat. That is not something I remember too well, because that is not what "moved" me.
The next thing I remember is a dog that walked up to the front of the building. Being a dog lover, I noticed that she was part wolf and probably part German shepherd. I could tell she was a she, because you could tell that she had been feeding puppies. She was terribly in need of something to eat and I felt so bad for her. I knew if she didn't eat soon, she and her puppies would not make it.
Me and my wife sat there and looked at her. We noticed that people walked by and didn't even pet her, like most people do when they walk by an animal in front of a store. She might not have been as pretty and clean as most, but she still deserved better. But we still did not do anything. But someone did. The homeless man, who I thought did not buy himself anything to eat, went back into the store. And what he did brought tears to me and my wife. He had gone into the store and with what money he may have had, bought a can of dog food and fed that dog.
I know that this story isn't as inspirational as most stories, but it plays a great part in our lives. You see, that was Mother's Day weekend. And a lot of people forget that some animals are parents too. And animals as well as us are God's creations too.
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<>< Finding Peace In Death ><>
Recently, my fourteen-year-old daughter lost her father in what I consider a senseless motorcycle accident. I was very angry with him for leaving her so young, and for all the shared moments that he cheated her out of by dying this way. My daughter's pain and grief had affected her academic accomplishments and I was struggling with this.
So that night, I had a dream. He appeared to me in a way that was of comfort to me. He wore jeans, a tee-shirt and a ball cap. We talked about our daughter. I asked him if he knew that our daughter was failing her main classes as school. He looked at me and said "Yes, I know, and they will get better." As I sat there looking at him, I struggled with what to say.
He then told me, "I want you to know that I am very proud of our daughter and that I love her very much." With tears in my eyes, I reached for him and hugged him with all my might. At that moment, I told him that I missed him in this lifetime. Finally, I let go of him and he reached for my hand and asked me "Are you ready to find peace now?" I was very overwhelmed at his request and replied "I am too busy, right now". He then asked me again. I then woke up sobbing uncontrollably.
Needless to say, I realized that in the midst of all my anger, I had this dream. The man who left his physical existence is not the spirit I felt in my dream. So I find that I have to somehow find peace in the midst of the "mess" he left behind and work through each and every day in search of peace. I know that this is where I must go and what I must be. Most of my anger is gone now and I continue to search for what is most important -- peace -- not only for myself, but for my daughter. Everything I do I put in God's hands now.
Have A Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara
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