Monday, March 30, 2009

Stinky Feet


While I was attending college there was one boy, we'll call him Joe, who pretty much everyone tried to avoid. He was a nice good looking kid, but had difficulty keeping close friends. The problem was his feet. They smelled. People just didn't like being around him for that reason.

It was a real concern to him that he just did not seem to be able to keep friends for any length of time. He didn't understand why because he always thought that he and other people hit it off at first.

One day he was walking with one of the only close friends he had and begin to open up and voice his concerns that he felt like an outcast. "Joe," his friend asked him, "do you mind if I tell you why people shy away from you?" Joe encouraged his fellow classmate to be honest with him. "Well, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but the reason people avoid you is that your feet stink."

Joe hung his head and with his eyes filling with tears answered, "I know it. You see, it's the shoes. This pair of sneakers are all that I have to wear. All my extra money goes for school and food."
The solution was easy to fix. Joe's friends chipped in and bought him a new pair of shoes and the problem was solved. Unfortunately, if someone had only gotten with him earlier it would have been so much better for him and his relationships.

Sometimes we think we are being kind by not talking to someone about things that should be shared. We don't want to embarrass them or hurt their feelings. In reality it would be better for someone to be a little embarrassed than quietly suffering or being silently talked about.

Wouldn't you rather have someone tell you that you have mustard on your cheek instead of walking into a crowded room looking that way? Wouldn't you rather be embarrassed with one person telling you that your shoes don't match instead of standing in front of group and being quietly snickered at by the whole crowd? Stop and think what you would want your friend to do in situations like these. Our answer would probably be, "A true friend would have told me."

True friendship has two aspects. One is watching and caring for those whom we call a friend. It's letting them know things that are for their good. It's being there for them. On the other had a true friendship allows our friends to talk to us frankly. It allows us to listen to them knowing that they have our good at heart.

An old Jewish prover says, "A friend is one who warns you."

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:6, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted."

Both are saying that true friendship means we are willing to risk our friendship if it is for the good of our friend.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Last Place Team



Growing up in a small town, the big summer event was Little League baseball. As they reached the age of around 12 the boys in town would anticipate the summer when they would first be picked to play. Baseball was big in the '50's. In Plano the boys would be anxiously waiting by the phone the Saturday the teams were picked to see to which team they would be assigned. We had four teams in our league, the Colts, Sports, Athletics and Lions (If my memory is correct on the last one).

Every boy wanted to play for the Colts. They were the best team for several years. They were winners. They had the athletes from the prior year who would carry them to the championship again so that's where the new recruits wanted to be as well. Like the others I waited in anticipation for the call with hope of being a blue and white Colt the that first summer.

The call came from one of my friends. "Danny," he said in a tone that I could tell even hurt him, "you were selected to the Sports." When I hung up I was devastated. Not only did I not make the Colts, I was on the worst team in the league. It was the team that had not won a single game the year before and was the worst in the last several years. The Sports, could it get any worse? The answer was a definite, "Yes".

I bought my red and white baseball cap and headed out to the first team meeting. At the end of the meeting and practice they distributed the uniforms. The Sports' colors were red and white. When the uniforms were handed out they did not have enough of the red ones so two of us got the colors of the old team, gray and green. I was was one of the two who got the "different " one. Not a very good start for something you were excited about to begin with. It could not get any worse, right? Wrong!

My first time at bat was in a practice game with you guessed it, the Colts. Since I was small everyone moved up on me. To their surprise I was a better player than I looked. I connected with the first pitch and got a hit to right field. Then on first base it happened. The pitcher threw the ball to pick me off and I got back to the base, but did not notice the old "hidden ball" trick. The first baseman acted like he threw it back, but instead held the ball. I stepped off the base and was promptly tagged out. I was again devastated. I sat by the fence and cried.

The bright spot was that I received my red and white uniform after a couple of weeks, we tied for second place that year and the following year were tied for the division lead. In addition I was selected as one of the all-stars as the second baseman. Even though the beginning was rough, I never gave up and enjoyed several summers of small town baseball.

The Bible teaches that "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). Sometimes we are going to face tough challenges. The easy thing is to give up. We can just quit and move on. But giving up accomplishes nothing compared to the rewards that can come our way from sticking through the tough times. It is through facing trials and hardships and defeating the tests that come our way that we become stronger in our spiritual lives. The apostle Peter is a great example of this. He was called down for rebuking Jesus, his faith wavered as he walked on the water and he denied Jesus at his trial. Yet he became the greatest of all the apostles.

So next time life gives you a green uniform and puts you in a last team situation think about the future. Turn that unfortunate circumstance into a winning season of your life.

Clip Art from: http://download-free-pictures.com



Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It's All How You Look At It!



Frederick Langbridge died in 1923. The one thing that he left behind that has had a lasting impression is a short poem he wrote. It simply says:

"Two men look through prison bars; One sees mud the other stars."

It's a simple little poem with a powerful message. Some people are never happy. They are always looking at the negative side of things. It's one complaint after another. It's too hot. It's too cold. I don't like this. I don't like that. The world is going to pot. I don't like him. I don't like her. Why didn't he do this? Why did he do that? And on and on and on. All they see is mud. They dwell on the bad things in life and wallow in self pity.

On the other hand there are those whose outlook is always bright. It's the attitude, "If life hands you a lemon, make lemonade." These are the people who soak in the beauty of the stars. They see the positive side of life and when bad comes along they don't let it get them down. They just "keep on, keeping on."

In the movie Pollyanna, Pollyanna plays the "Glad Game". It's a game where you look for the best in everything. She illustrates it by saying her missionary father thought of it when she asked for a doll for Christmas and was sent a pair of crutches instead. What was so "glad' about that? They were glad that they didn't have to use them!

Which are you? How do you wake up in the morning? What type of attitude do you reflect on others? Today, open up the newspaper, find the most depressing story you can and see what good you can see in it. Make it a point to be positive looking up instead of down.

And when you really get down remember the Psalmist in Psalms 118:24: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Today can be a great day no matter what comes your way. "It's all how you look at it!"

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Same Kind of Different As Me



I enjoy reading true stories. Every so often I come across one that has a tremendous impact on how I view life or people. A couple of years ago I came across the book "Same Kind of Different as Me". I have since given away more than two dozen copies. Something I've never done with any other book which I've read. I've recommended it to hundreds of people. The response is always the same, "This is one of the greatest stories I've ever read".

The book is written by two men, Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent. It's the story of Ron, Denver and Ron's wife Deborah. It's a love story. The love that a woman had for a man she met in a homeless shelter in Fort Worth, Texas. It wasn't the physical attraction love, but the love that one person has for someone who is living without love in their life. A love that has deep concern for the well being of another human being. It was a love that changed a man's life forever. It's the story of a man who struggled with accepting this love. It's the story of a man who was taught by his wife to reach out.

Although the story centers around a modern day slave, a homeless man, it's not a story to tell us how to treat the homeless. It's a story that teaches us how to treat our fellow man. I'm reminded of Jesus and how he loved people of all walks of life. Mostly I think of Jesus in Matthew 8 when a man with Leprosy came and knelt down before Jesus and asked to be healed. Matthew tells us that Jesus reached out and touched him. He actually touched a man with leprosy, a man who had to announce himself before coming near a crowd, a man from whom everyone kept their distance. But Jesus, he touched him.

To love as Christ loved and reach those in need we must learn to stretch out our hand and touch them. Only then can they experience the healing power of Jesus' love.

"Same Kind of Different as Me" is a must read for anyone who wants to know what it can mean to be Jesus. In fact it's a must read for anyone who wants to know how to treat people. It's a fascinating story that will change your life.


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Nickel Incident



To whoever was walking down an alley near Oleander street in Dallas and found the sack with a nickel in it, I'd like to tell you how it happened to be there. It was put there one summer around 1953. My brother was 3 and I was 5. These were the days that you let your kids walk to the store and never worried about their safety. Well, one summer afternoon Gary and I made our way to the Rexall drugstore which was out the back gate, a quick left in the alley for a little ways and another right up the side alley next to the drugstore. We made our purchase and retraced our steps back home.

It was then that the crime unfolded. As my 5 year old mind remembers I was playing in the living room (I don't think we had TV back then) when I saw Gary pushing something under a floor lamp. Curious as to what was going on I went over, lifted the lamp and discovered a half eaten package of Lifesavers. "Mom," I loudly exclaimed, "where did Gary get the Lifesavers?" My mother came in an quickly surmised that her little 3 year old was a thief. He evidently had pocketed the Lifesavers while I was paying for the other purchase at the drugstore.

At that point my mother went to her purse, retrieved a nickel and told me to go back to the store and pay for the Lifesavers. What happened to my brother after I left has remained his and my mother's secret to this day. Anyway, as I proceeded out the back gate and turned left in the alley, my 5 year old mind began to work overtime. I began to picture my little brother getting in trouble. I could see the police coming to the house, handcuffing him and taking him to jail. As my walk continued it distressed me more and more. I turned right up the side alley and the thoughts became so stressful I found myself having to make a decision that 5 year old from time to time must make. Do I go to the store and risk sending my little brother to jail or take other drastic action?

I chose the later. I looked around in the alley and spotted a brown paper sack flattened by the trucks that would come down the pathway. I bent down, opened the sack and slipped the nickel inside. The store did not get paid and may have suffered from not having that nickel. But I know I did the right thing keeping my brother out of jail!

Have you ever been so stressed out that you were caught in a dilemma of what to do? I believe we all are at one time or another. We become anxious and worry about things that may or may not happen. We sometimes become so distraught that we make ourselves sick. In the garden Jesus was in so much stress that it says that he had sweat like drops of blood. But he knew how to get over it. He left it all in God's hands. "If it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may YOUR WILL be done." The easiest way to overcome our fears is to allow God to take over in our lives. Only when he is in control can we find true inner peace.


I feel better about it now and do not feel my brother will go to jail, so if you don't mind please give the nickel to the nearest Rexall Drugstore (If they still exist) for me.

Monday, March 2, 2009

The Balloon



Sarah showed up at Sunday School one morning with her dress dirty and hair disarrayed. The Sunday School teacher looked at her and knowing that this little girl never came to class like this asked her "What happened to you?"

"Well", she spoke softy, "I was walking to Sunday School with a big red balloon for show and tell when I saw my friend, Billy, playing out in his front yard. He liked the balloon so much that I gave it to him. So I asked Billy if he wanted to come to Sunday School with me. He told me no because he wanted to stay home and play with his balloon. I told him Sunday School was more important, but he wouldn't listen. I didn't want to keep anyone from coming to Sunday School, so I popped it!"

Each of us has influence on certain people in our lives. That influence can be good or bad. As Christians we should always be striving to be the good influence in a person's life. Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 10:32-33 "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved."


Clip art copyrighted by Bobbie Peachey, Webclipart.about.com.