Quote from Forum Archives on December 6, 2002, 12:36 am

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

*** Manger Story ***

 

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:
It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling
their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help.
All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger.
Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.
For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately-until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay.  I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay.
Then, Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did." But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?"
And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." "So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always."
As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him - FOR ALWAYS.
I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

 

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***The Geese And The Snowstorm ***

 

 There was once a man who did not believe in either the virgin birth of Christ or the spiritual meaning behind it, and was skeptical even about God. He and his family lived in a farm community. His wife was a devout believer and diligently raised her children in the faith. He sometimes gave her a hard time about her belief and mocked her religious observances.

 

 "It's all nonsense -- why would God lower himself and become a human like us?
 It's such a ridiculous story," he said.

 

 One snowy day, she and the children left for church while he stayed home.
 After they had departed, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening.
 Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against the window... And, still another thump. He looked outside but could not see anything. So he ventured outside for a better view. In the field near his house he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese. They were apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but they had been caught in the snowstorm.

 

 The storm had become too blinding and violent for the geese to fly or see their way. They were stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter, unable to do more than flutter their wings and fly in aimless circles. He had compassion for them and wanted        to help them. He thought to himself, the barn would be a great place for them to stay. It is warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he opened the barn doors for them. He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. Nevertheless, they did not notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. He moved closer toward them to get their attention, but they just moved away from him out of fear.

 

 He went into the house and came back with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread trail to the barn. They still did not catch on. Starting to
get frustrated, he went over and tried to shoo them toward the barn. They panicked and scattered into every direction except toward the barn.  Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where there was warmth, safety, and shelter. Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed, "Why don't they follow me?

 

 Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?
How can I possibly get them into the one place to save them?"
He thought for a moment and realized that they just would not follow a human. He said to himself, "How can I possibly save them?

 

 The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could become like one of them. Then I could save them. They would follow me and I would lead them to safety." At that moment, he stopped and considered what he had said. The words reverberated in his mind: If only I could become like one of them, then I could save them. Then, at last, he understood God's heart towards mankind...and he fell on his knees in the snow.

 

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*** Praying for People ***

 

A hospital chaplain visited a delightful old lady in the hospital. As he approached her bed he noticed that with the index finger of one hand she was touching, one by one, the fingers of the other, with her eyes closed. When the chaplain spoke to her she opened her eyes and said, "Ah, minister, I was just saying my prayers--- the prayers my grandmother taught me many years ago."

 

The chaplain looked puzzled, so she went on to explain, "I hold my hand like this, my thumb towards me. That reminds me to pray for those nearest to me. Then, there is my pointing finger, so I pray for those who point the way to others---teacher, leaders, parents. The next finger is the biggest so I pray for those in high places. After that comes the weakest finger---look it won't stand up by itself, so I pray for the sick and the lonely and the afraid. And this little one---well, last of all I pray for myself."

 

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*** MAKE A DIFFERENCE ***

 

A man was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset.
As he walked along he began to see another man in the distance.

 

As he grew nearer he noticed that the local native kept
leaning down, picking something up, and throwing it out into
the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the
ocean.

 

As our friend approached even closer he noticed that the man
was picking up starfish that had washed up onto the beach, and
one at a time, he was throwing them back into the ocean. . .

 

The first man was puzzled. He approached the man and said,
"Good Evening Friend, I was wondering what are you doing?" And
he replied, "I’m throwing these starfish back into the ocean.
You see, it’s low tide right now and all these starfish have
been washed up onto the shore. If I don’t throw them back into
the sea, they will die from the lack of oxygen."

 

"I understand" my friend replied "but there must be
thousands of starfish on this beach and you couldn’t possibly
get to all of them. They’re are simply to many and don’t you
realize that this is happening on hundreds of beaches up and
down this coast . . . can’t you see that that you can’t
possible make a difference. . . . The local native smiled.. .
bent down . . . picked up yet another starfish . . . and as he
threw it back out into the sea, he replied, "It made a
difference to that one!"

 

~ You may feel like you cannot make a difference in the world
today, but you CAN make a difference in one life at a time.

 

Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara

 

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