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May 11, 2005 "Sunshine Following The Rain!" ... PRO
Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 9, 2005 (message contributor)
May 11, 2005 “Sunshine Following the Rain!” Philemon: 17-19 Key verse(s) 18:“If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.”
There is that precious, opportunistic moment; when a gentle hand by a touch on the shoulder is able to magically remove the sting of failure from the midst of defeat. There is something about a shoulder that invites attention when we are slumped in sorrow, embarrassment or exhaustion. Shoulders drop when the heart aches. Shoulders stoop when the head falls. In this sense they are the signpost by which others must know there is a disaster brewing within. The funny thing about it is that the same sign affects different people in different ways.
There are those people who avoid contact when others are hurting. It’s almost as if they sense that whatever it is that they have, they don’t want it to be transmitted to them. “If pain and defeat look like this, I certainly don’t want any part of it.” Then there are those who, upon seeing someone else downtrodden, identify all too clearly with the emotion. They feel it in their hearts and reflect upon a time when they too were so stricken. “That hurts and the more and more I look at it, the more I remember my own hurt.” They are quick to move on. But, thank God, there are those who are drawn to the slumped shoulder of the wounded warrior. They see it as an opportunity to intervene and stop the hurt. They see it as a way of lifting someone up, even transferring some of that pain to themselves in order to keep the warrior standing. “Give me some of your hurt. I just can’t bear to see you suffer so.”
There are many heroes in this life. Some bravely climb mountains or catch touchdown passes. But there is none more brave than the one who is willing to take on the hurt of another and pump encouragement into them, giving them hope in a hopeless situation.
Edward Steichen, who eventually became one of the world’s most renowned photographers, almost gave up on the day he shot his first pictures. At 16, young Steichen bought a camera and took 50 photos. Only one turned out -- a portrait of his sister at the piano. Edward’s father thought that was a poor showing. But his mother insisted that the photograph of his sister was so beautiful that it more than compensated for 49 failures. Her encouragement convinced the youngster to stick with his new hobby. He stayed with it for the rest of his life, but it had been a close call. What tipped the scales? The vision to spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure. (Bits & Pieces, February 4, 1993, pp. 4-5.)
We can express our love for others in many ways. There is, perhaps, no greater and more meaningful way of showing we care than making sure that we are always...
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In 1829 A Man Named George Wilson Was Arrested ...
Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 29, 2006
In 1829 a man named George Wilson was arrested for robbery and murder in a US mail heist. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. Some friends intervened on his behalf and were able to obtain his pardon from President Andrew Jackson. But when told of this, Wilson refused it ...read more
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Small Words, Profound Effect PRO
Contributed by Alan Perkins on Jan 12, 2003
SMALL WORDS, PROFOUND EFFECT "The tongue has the power of life and death . . . " That may sound a bit extreme to you; a bit exaggerated. How could mere words kill anyone? But consider this. You’re probably familiar with Karen Carpenter, the popular singer from the seventies who died in 1983 of ...read more
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Fisherman PRO
Contributed by Timothy Jones on Jan 16, 2003
Fisherman American businessman was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. ...read more
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