THE HAND
At first it sounded like a Thanksgiving story, but the more I
reflected on it, the more appropriate it seemed for any time of the
year. The way I heard it, the story went like this:
Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a
fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for which they were
thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but
still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other
traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would
be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different
kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery, frail and
unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to
stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt
behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of
something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else.
Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand
could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because
farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the
police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the
hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went -- until the
teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at
Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little
boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher."
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here
or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "Take
my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold
your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful
for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about
teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing
friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They
might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the hand that
reaches out.
-- Steve Goodier
www.lifesupportsystem.com
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
SUCKER DAY
I've never visited the town of Wetumka in Oklahoma (USA). But I understand the folks there celebrate a day every year when they laugh at themselves. They call it Sucker Day and they plan a town festival on the last Saturday of September to commemorate it.
It all started in 1950 when a man calling himself F. Bam Morrison arrived in Wetumka and persuaded local residents to put up the money to bring a circus to town. They did not know F. Bam, but he was a nice enough fellow and they trusted his word.
Merchants bought plenty of food, beverages, and souvenirs in preparation for the crowds of people who were bound to attend. And Morrison sold advance tickets. The townspeople were ecstatic at the thought of a circus in their very own village. Children could hardly sleep at night.
On the day the circus parade was to march down the main street, ecstasy turned into dismay when nothing happened. F. Bam had slipped quietly away in the night with any money he had left. There would be no circus. The good folks of Wetumka had been swindled.
It didn't take long for their disappointment to turn into amusement, however. Someone came up with the idea of holding a four-day celebration anyway. And why not? They had all the food and goodies. Calendars were cleared and, besides, everyone's heart was set on having a good time.
They called their party The Sucker Festival. In a display of good-natured fun, people celebrated the fact that they'd been conned, snookered and hornswoggled. And now Sucker Day is an annual event Wetumka – a good excuse to come together, to laugh and to have some fun.
We're going to be fooled sometimes. Especially if we easily place our confidence in people. But I'm not going to give up trusting just to avoid being had.
I've observed that some of the happiest people I know are far from being the most wary – in fact, they are quite often open and trusting. These contented folks share at least two traits.
The first is that they are trustworthy. They are known to be honest and true to their word.
And the second trait these happy and satisfied people share is that they easily trust others. Sometimes their trust is misplaced, but they've discovered that the benefits of trusting usually outweigh the risks of disappointment.
I expect I'll get taken in plenty of times yet by friends and strangers I believed in. But I hope the next time I trusted when I should have been more cautious, I can learn from the good folks of Wetumka and laugh at myself.
Because I'd rather let others into my heart than shut them out. I'd rather be a sucker for a day than unhappy for a lifetime. And I'd rather believe there is goodness in most people, for that is the only way to find it.
Steve Goodier of LifeSupportSystem.com
It all started in 1950 when a man calling himself F. Bam Morrison arrived in Wetumka and persuaded local residents to put up the money to bring a circus to town. They did not know F. Bam, but he was a nice enough fellow and they trusted his word.
Merchants bought plenty of food, beverages, and souvenirs in preparation for the crowds of people who were bound to attend. And Morrison sold advance tickets. The townspeople were ecstatic at the thought of a circus in their very own village. Children could hardly sleep at night.
On the day the circus parade was to march down the main street, ecstasy turned into dismay when nothing happened. F. Bam had slipped quietly away in the night with any money he had left. There would be no circus. The good folks of Wetumka had been swindled.
It didn't take long for their disappointment to turn into amusement, however. Someone came up with the idea of holding a four-day celebration anyway. And why not? They had all the food and goodies. Calendars were cleared and, besides, everyone's heart was set on having a good time.
They called their party The Sucker Festival. In a display of good-natured fun, people celebrated the fact that they'd been conned, snookered and hornswoggled. And now Sucker Day is an annual event Wetumka – a good excuse to come together, to laugh and to have some fun.
We're going to be fooled sometimes. Especially if we easily place our confidence in people. But I'm not going to give up trusting just to avoid being had.
I've observed that some of the happiest people I know are far from being the most wary – in fact, they are quite often open and trusting. These contented folks share at least two traits.
The first is that they are trustworthy. They are known to be honest and true to their word.
And the second trait these happy and satisfied people share is that they easily trust others. Sometimes their trust is misplaced, but they've discovered that the benefits of trusting usually outweigh the risks of disappointment.
I expect I'll get taken in plenty of times yet by friends and strangers I believed in. But I hope the next time I trusted when I should have been more cautious, I can learn from the good folks of Wetumka and laugh at myself.
Because I'd rather let others into my heart than shut them out. I'd rather be a sucker for a day than unhappy for a lifetime. And I'd rather believe there is goodness in most people, for that is the only way to find it.
Steve Goodier of LifeSupportSystem.com
Friday, May 1, 2009
GOD DELIGHTS IN THOSE WHO HONOR HIM...
Do not be afraid
The Lord who created you says: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you."
Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT
Two Margarets
Margaret MacLachlan and Margaret Wilson, Covenanters in Wigtown, Scotland, were tried for their faith on April 13, 1865, for refusing to take the Oath of Abjuration, which stated that the Church of God is a department of the State. Found guilty of rebellion, attending field meetings, and worshiping in places other than a church, they were ordered to receive their sentences on their knees. When they refused to bow before anyone but God, they were forced down to their knees and then were sentenced to death by drowning.
On May 11, 1685, the two faithful Margarets were tied to posts and staked in the sea as the tide was rising. The older Margaret (MacLachlan) was farther out. They were given many chances to recant their beliefs, but they stood firm and resolute.
Margaret MacLachlan remained silent, her eyes closed throughout the ordeal, communing with Christ until death. As the tide rose eighteen-year-old Margaret Wilson began to sing a Covenanter rendition of Psalm 25:7. Then, she recited from Romans 8: "We are more than conquerors through him that loves us.…"
After the waves washed over her head, the soldiers pulled her out, pleading with her one last time to "pray for the king!" She prayed, but her pray was, "Lord, give him repentance, forgiveness, and salvation, if it be Thy holy will." The angry soldiers threw her back into the water, and she joined Margaret MacLachlan before the throne.
We may never face the rising tide of the sea, but the deep waters of trouble and loss can be just as overwhelming. How do you react when you feel you are about to drown in the rising tide of your own troubles?
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten (Tyndale, 2003), entry for May 11.
The Lord who created you says: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you."
Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT
Two Margarets
Margaret MacLachlan and Margaret Wilson, Covenanters in Wigtown, Scotland, were tried for their faith on April 13, 1865, for refusing to take the Oath of Abjuration, which stated that the Church of God is a department of the State. Found guilty of rebellion, attending field meetings, and worshiping in places other than a church, they were ordered to receive their sentences on their knees. When they refused to bow before anyone but God, they were forced down to their knees and then were sentenced to death by drowning.
On May 11, 1685, the two faithful Margarets were tied to posts and staked in the sea as the tide was rising. The older Margaret (MacLachlan) was farther out. They were given many chances to recant their beliefs, but they stood firm and resolute.
Margaret MacLachlan remained silent, her eyes closed throughout the ordeal, communing with Christ until death. As the tide rose eighteen-year-old Margaret Wilson began to sing a Covenanter rendition of Psalm 25:7. Then, she recited from Romans 8: "We are more than conquerors through him that loves us.…"
After the waves washed over her head, the soldiers pulled her out, pleading with her one last time to "pray for the king!" She prayed, but her pray was, "Lord, give him repentance, forgiveness, and salvation, if it be Thy holy will." The angry soldiers threw her back into the water, and she joined Margaret MacLachlan before the throne.
We may never face the rising tide of the sea, but the deep waters of trouble and loss can be just as overwhelming. How do you react when you feel you are about to drown in the rising tide of your own troubles?
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten (Tyndale, 2003), entry for May 11.
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