Friendship...Priceless

I got another e-mail today that made me stop and think. I don't know about you but I read things that sometimes really stick with me for hours, sometimes days. Can't seem to stop thinking about it. I will share my thoughts on what I read and perhaps it speak to someone else.

"Never under estimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way."

This statement was at the bottom of a rather long story about a young man who had been picked on in school. I give you the short story"A kid from class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. He had big thick glasses, holes in his shoes, dirty clothes, and smelled bad. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon) so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye." They became friends, the boy grew up to be very popular in his class, with the girls, and valedictorian of the class. Graduation night, as he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story." He told the story of the first day he met his best friend. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at his friend and gave him a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

We all know people like this, they don't look the way we look, , they don't dress the way we dress, they don't talk the way we talk and they don't act the way we act, no self-respect. We see them in the grocery store, drug stores, Wal-mart and we think to ourselves "they stink" or "how dirty" we walk the other way. I have been guilty of this myself.
But what I can't seem to stop thinking about with this story is this: What if someone I wouldn't normally speck to were planning to commit suicide or harm some one else, and a simple gesture, a smile, a kind word or a conversation in line at Wal-mart changed they way they were feeling that day. Perhaps it wasn't something as dramatic as killing them self but just feeling depressed, worried, or hopeless. Something that wouldn't cost me anything could be priceless to someone else. I am going to test this to day while I am out. I'm going to look for someone who has stress lines, bratty kids crying for something they can't have because she can't afford to get it, someone who doesn't dress like me, or smell like me. I'm going out with the intention of making someone feel better, smile, laugh today. I will let you know how my experiment works tomorrow.

All Blogged Down

This week has been one of those weeks. Nothing seemed to go right. Monday is just Monday. what was suppose to be a couple of hours in Bono, cleaning a house ended up to be painting 2 bedrooms and a hall. The lady didn't have the proper equipment to paint and it took us all day. It felt like we were using toothbrushes instead of paint brushes.
My sister had dental surgery Tuesday and had to have some one stay with her for 24 hours, that was me. She milked for all it was worth. By the way if you need milk call Christy. She is such the drama queen. I have to admit Angie and i have had a few good laughs while she was coming down from the Anestassia. When you ask her how she felt she would answer " it is throbbing like a sore robins butt" I didn't want to know how she knew that.
Wednesday woke up to Maria telling no one showed up for work today. So I got dressed drove home from Christy's house. We were in Jonesboro deep cleaning a house in Ridge Point. It was huge and we did windows outside. I got 3 parts the way done(as Maria would say) and got to hot, 90 something degree's that day. I started see spots, got dizzy, and almost feel off the 24' ladder. So I decided it was time for a break, when I walked into the air condition house I passed out cold. I awoke to my customer over me with a cold rag. How embarrassing! Finished the job, came home, showered, ate, bed 6:30.
Woke up at 6:30 with a migraine headache, Maria says no workers, got dressed, workers late and they left. Took a pill went back to bed to get woke by Maria , "we have set off the bloody alarm at Lou's and the police are here. what shall I do?"

It has been the week from, well you know where. Today, I am not going to get dressed, shutting off phones, not answering door, shot Maria, and sleep all day long.

Moral of this Blog: " Thou shall not kill" Deuteronomy 5:17

Hang it on the Cross

If you have a secret sorrow,
a burden or a loss,
An aching need for healing...

Hang it on the Cross

If worry steals your sleep
and makes you turn and toss
If your heart is feeling heavy...

Hang it on the Cross

Every obstacle in faith
that you come across
Every prayer unanswered...

Hang it on the Cross

For Christ was borne for brokenness
and dearly paid the cost
To turn our trials to triumph...

So Hang it on the Cross

Thank you Lord, that I don't have to worry, carry, loss sleep or burden myself with the woes that the world throws at me each day. "Thank you for the cross Lord. Thank you for the price You paid, Bearing all my sin and shame In love You came And gave amazing grace. Thank you for this love Lord Thank you for the nail pierced hands Washed me in Your cleansing flow Now all I know is Your forgiveness and embrace." (Hillsongs: Worthy is the Lamb) otherwise known as Gingers song:)
Thank you Father for allowing me to nail my attitude, accusations, battles, blindness, burdens, complaining, depression, disappointments, disobedience, emotions, emptiness, fears, frustrations, grumbling, guilt, human nature, hurt, idols, impatience, jealousy, judgement of others, lust, loneliness, mistakes, misconceptions, needs, neglect, obsessions, offences, panic, pain, pride, rebellion, regret, secrets, self-centeredness, self-control, selfishness, self-pity, shame, sickness, sorrow, suffering, temptations, trials, unbelief, unfaithfulness, uselessness, vanity, verbal abuse, walls, weakness, and worry to the cross. Thank you for repentance, forgiveness for all these sins that may not all attack me at once but sneak up on me everyday. Thank you that I can ask and you will..
Moral of this Blog: "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive in Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it away, nailing it to the Christ's cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ." Colossians 2:13-15
"Cast your cares (burdens) on the Lord and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22
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