Any Doctors In The House?

A strained voice called out through the darkened theater, "Please, is there a doctor in the house?"

Several men stood up as the lights came on.

An older lady pulled her daughter to stand next to her, "Good, are any of you doctors single and interested in a date with a nice girl?"

Why Did God Make Me As I Am?”

A happily married woman with two children lost both of them. They were buried in the same grave. After that, she suffered a deep emotional collapse. For years her family fed and cared for her as though she was as weak and helpless as a little child.

One day her aunt, a joyful Christian, took her turn at feeding her. The distraught and despondent woman said, “Auntie, you keep on saying that God loves us. I used to think so too; but if He loves us, why did He make me as I am?”

The aunt kissed her gently, said with the wisdom of years, “Dear, He hasn’t made you yet. He’s making you now!”

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.”

Eddie and Alice Smith

Mother and You

3 yrs old: "Ma, I love you"

10 yrs old: "Mom whatever!"

16 yrs old: "OMG! My Mom is so annoying!"

18 yrs old: "I wanna leave this house."

25 yrs old: "Mom, you were right."

30 yrs old: "I want to go back to my Mom's house."

40 yrs old: "Mom, what do you think?"

50 yrs old: "I don't wanna lose my Mom."

60 yrs old: "Ma, I love you."

70 yrs old: "I would give up anything for my Mom to be here."

80 yrs old: "Ma, see you in heaven soon!"

Tripping Over A Three-Year-Old

It was a busy day in our Costa Mesa, California, home. But then, with 10 children and one on the way, every day was a bit hectic. On this particular day, however, I was having trouble doing even routine chores — all because of one little boy.

Len, who was three at the time, was on my heels no matter where I went. Whenever I stopped to do something and turned back around, I would trip over him. Several times, I patiently suggested fun activities to keep him occupied. "Wouldn't you like to play on the swing set?" I asked again.

But he simply smiled an innocent smile and said, "Oh, that's all right, Mommy. I'd rather be in here with you." Then he continued to bounce happily along behind me.

After stepping on his toes for the fifth time, I began to lose my patience and insisted that he go outside and play with the other children. When I asked him why he was acting this way, he looked up at me with sweet green eyes and said, "Well, Mommy, in Primary my teacher told me to walk in Jesus' footsteps. But I can't see him, so I'm walking in yours."

I gathered Len in my arms and held him close. Tears of love and humility spilled over from the prayer that grew in my heart — a prayer of thanks for the simple, yet beautiful perspective of a three-year-old boy.

Davida Dalton

Stand by Me

God may not take the storm away but He promises to stand by me through the storm. As long as He is there with me, I can face all types of storm. Rev Albert Kang.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [or through the darkest valley], I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."¹

Kim Sherer writes: "One night while my young son, Ryan, was sleeping, a storm began brewing outside. After a loud clap of thunder, I heard him wake up so I headed toward his room to comfort him. He asked me to stay with him until he fell asleep. As I lay there I realized he hadn't asked me to make the storm go away, but to stay with him. 

How many times, I wondered, have I asked God to take away the storms of life, when instead I need to ask him to stay with me and help me weather them more peacefully?"²

Good point Kim makes. As the hymn writer, Charles A. Tindley, put it so aptly:

   When the storms of life are raging,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   When the storms of life are raging,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   When the world is tossing me
   Like a ship upon the sea
   Thou Who rulest wind and water,
   Stand by me (stand by me).

   In the midst of tribulation,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   In the midst of tribulation,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   When the hosts of hell assail,
   And my strength begins to fail,
   Thou Who never lost a battle,
   Stand by me (stand by me).³

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your promise that no matter how dark the valley I have to walk through, you will always stand by me and never leave me or forsake me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 23:4 (NIV).
2. Kim Sherer. Cited on www.TFTD-online.com
3. Words and music at: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/standbym.htm

<:))))><
By Dick Innes
http://actscom.com/

Where did you meet God today?

A story is told where a mother had a different way of asking the same question: “How was your day?” As she tucks her children into bed each night, she asks them this question: “Where did you meet God today?” 

And they tell her, one by one: a teacher helped me; there was a homeless person in the park; I saw a tree with lots of flowers on it. She tells them where she met God, too.

Before the children drop off to sleep, the stuff of this day has become the substance of their prayer.
Dorothy C. Bass

Another Virgin Birth?

A mother took her daughter to the doctor and asked him to give her an examination to determine the cause of the daughter's swollen abdomen.

It only took the doctor about 2 seconds to say, "Gimme a break, lady! Your daughter is pregnant!"

The mother turn red with fury, and she argued with the doctor that her daughter was a good girl, and would never compromise her reputation by having any sexual relationship with a boy.

The doctor faced the window and silently watched the horizon.

The mother became enraged and screamed, "Quit looking out the window! Aren't you paying attention to me?"

The doctor turned and looked puzzled, "Yes, of course I am paying attention, ma'am."

He then stared at the horizon again, "It's just that the last time this happened, a star appeared in the East, and three Wise Men came. I was hoping they'd show up again, and help me figure out who got your daughter pregnant!"

The Lion Tamer

A first grade teacher seated her students in a circle. She asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. One by one, each child got up and announced, "I'd like to be a nurse like my mother," or "I want to be a banker like my father," or "I want to be a teacher like you, Miss Smith."
 

The last child to speak was the most shy and timid little boy in the class. He said, "When I get big, I'm going to be a lion tamer in the circus. I'm going to face those animals with my whip and chair and make them leap through hoops of fire and obey all of my commands."

Seeing the disbelieving looks on the faces of his classmates that he could ever act so boldly or bravely, he was quick to reassure them, "Well, of course, I'll have my mother with me."

We are sometimes shy and timid about standing up for Christ in the midst of an immoral society. We keep quiet when we ought to speak up. We cower when we ought to take a stand. Where do we get the inner strength to be bold and brave? Only through the assurance that we have Christ by our side.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13).

With that knowledge, take courage today to do something for God that you've been hesitant to do.

Alan Smith alansmith@boone.net www.TFTD-online.com