Quote from Forum Archives on August 10, 2006, 12:28 pm

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

"The Fire"

 

    

 

A couple, which we shall call John and Mary, had a nice home and two lovely children, a boy and a girl. John had a good job and had just been asked to go on a business trip to another city and would be gone for several days. It was decided that Mary needed an outing and would go along too. They hired a reliable woman to care for the children and made the trip, returning home a little earlier than they had planned.

 

As they drove into their hometown feeling glad to be back, they noticed smoke, and they went off their usual route to see what it was. They found a home in flames. Mary said, "Oh well it isn't our fire, let's go home."

 

But John drove closer and exclaimed, "That home belongs to Fred Jones who works at the plant. He wouldn't be off work yet, maybe there is something we could do." "It has nothing to do with us." Protested Mary. "You have your good clothes on lets not get any closer."

 

But John drove up and stopped and they were both horror stricken to see the whole house in flames. A woman on the lawn was in hysterics screaming, "The children! Get the children!" John grabbed her by the shoulder saying, "Get a hold of yourself and tell us where the children are!" "In the basement," sobbed the woman, "down the hall and to the left."

 

In spite of Mary's protests John grabbed the water hose and soaked his clothes, put his wet handkerchief on his head and bolted for the basement which was full of smoke and scorching hot. He found the door and grabbed two children, holding one under each arm like the football player he was. As he left he could hear some more whimpering. He delivered the two badly frightened and nearly suffocated children into waiting arms and filled his lungs with fresh air and started back asking how many more children were down there. They told him two more and Mary grabbed his arm and screamed, "John! Don't go back! It's suicide! That house will cave in any second!"

 

But he shook her off and went back by feeling his way down the smoke filled hallway and into the room. It seemed an eternity before he found both children and started back. They were all three coughing and he stooped low to get what available air he could. As he stumbled up the endless steps the thought went through his mind that there was something strangely familiar about the little bodies clinging to him, and at last when they came out into the sunlight and fresh air, he found that he had just rescued his own children.

 

The baby-sitter had left them at this home while she did some shopping.

Author: Unknown

 

 

"Funny, Isn't It"

 

           

Funny how a $20.00 bill looks so big when you take it to church, but so small when you take it to the market.

 

Funny how long it takes to serve God for an hour, but how quickly a team plays sixty minutes of basketball.

 

Funny how long a couple of hours are spent at church, but how short they are when watching a movie.

 

Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't have any difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

 

Funny how we get thrilled when a baseball game goes into extra innings, but we complain when a sermon is longer than the regular time.

 

Funny how hard it is to read a chapter in the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.

 

Funny how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but scramble to get a back seat at church services.

 

Funny how we need 2-3 weeks advance notice to fit a church event into our schedule, but can adjust our schedule for other events at the last minute.

 

Funny how much difficulty some people have learning a simple gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and repeat gossip about someone.

 

Funny how we believe what newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

 

Funny, isn't it?

 

Not really.

 

"Night Watch"

 

 

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.  "Your son is here," she said to the old man.  She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

 

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand.

 

The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

 

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.  All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.

 

Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.  He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital – the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

 

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words.  The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.  Along towards dawn, the old man died.  The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

 

Finally, she returned.  She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

 

"Who was that man?" he asked.

 

The nurse was startled.  "He was your father" she answered.

 

"No, he wasn't." the Marine replied.  "I never saw him before in my life."

 

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

 

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here.  When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

 

The next time someone needs you...be there.  Stay.  You'll be glad you did.

 

 

Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara

 

    

 

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