Archive for the ‘Study of Caring’ Category
JUDGE ME BY THE FOOTPRINTS I LEAVE BEHIND
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.” “Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.”
”There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mined and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.” ”I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”
“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.” “Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.” Read the rest of this entry »
THROUGH ME
Through me
let there be kind words, a warm smile, and a caring heart.
Through me
let there be a willingness to listen and a readiness to understand.
Through me
let there be dependability, steadfastness, trust and loyalty.
Through me
let there be compassion, forgiveness, mercy and love.
Through me
let there be every quality I find, O Lord, in Thee.
—Unknown
LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND
“Love never gives up. Love cares for others more than for self” (1Corinthians 13:1).
Someone shared this story with me and it reminded me of how often we make judgements about situations or people without knowing all the facts. How wrong we can be:
A man was travelling home by bus, when the bus stopped to pick someone up, a father with several children got on. The children were very unruly. They wouldn’t sit still. They kept changing seats and were fighting. They were doing all the annoying things that children do when parents don’t control them.
The father had taken the seat beside the first man, who by now was getting more annoyed by the minute, thinking, Why doesn’t he say something to control his children?”
Finally, he could take it no longer. He turned to the father and blurted, Your children are out of control. Why don’t you do something?” Read the rest of this entry »
EACH DAY IS A GIFT
The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. Read the rest of this entry »
Three Red Marbles
During the waning years of the depression in a small southeastern Idaho community,
I used to stop by Jim Miller’s roadside stand for farm-fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering was used, extensively.
One particular day Jim was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas.
I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Jim and the ragged boy next to me.
“Hello Barry, how are you today ?”
“H’lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya.
Jus’ admirin’ them peas — sure look good.”
“They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma ?”
“Fine. Gittin’ stronger all a’time.”
“Good. Anything I can help you with ?”
“No, Sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.” Read the rest of this entry »
My Favorite Recipe
Fold two hands together
and express a dash of sorrow.
Marinate it overnight
and work on it tomorrow
Chop one grudge into tiny pieces.
Add several cups of love.
Dredge with a large sized smile.
Mix with the ingredients above
Dissolve the hate within you
by melting the chip you stored almost to long.
When it is completely dissolved,
add it to the bowl of ingredients above.
Stir in laughter, love, and kindness;
this can only come from the heart
or the ingredients will sour. Read the rest of this entry »
The Sandpiper
She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sand castle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea. “Hello,” she said.
I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
“I’m building,” she said.
“I see that. What is it?” I asked, not really caring.
“Oh, I don’t know, I just like the feel of sand.”
That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes. A sandpiper glided by.
“That’s a joy,” the child said. Read the rest of this entry »
A Message By George Carlin
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways ,but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often Read the rest of this entry »
The Letter
Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.
She read the letter:
Dear Ruth,
I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I’d like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.” Read the rest of this entry »
Lunch With God
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and he started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.
Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. Read the rest of this entry »