The Important Things

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, and your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.

“The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there will be no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. – 1 Corinthians 8:2

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Rags at the Banquet

Once upon a time a man lived in the streets, clad only in the dirtiest and worst of rags. One day a person from the Palace noticed him, and approached him. There was going to be a banquet at the Palace, and he had instructions to come and invite people from the highways and byways. Would the man like to come?

The fellow was indeed interested. However, he could not attend a banquet dressed in his rags. The Palace representative assured him they would exchange his rags for some suitable finery to wear to the banquet.

All was in order. The two arrived at the Palace where they went directly to the dressing chambers of the King. Servants took the filthy rags, bundled them in a little package, and proceeded to rub, scrub, and clean the man from top to bottom.

He was then allowed to choose his robes from the closets of the King. He was told that whatever he picked he would be able to keep, so he carefully examined all the many garments in the closet. He chose an exquisite inner garment of purest silk and an outer robe of finest purple satin. He was ready for the banquet!

As they left the dressing quarters, the man grabbed his old rags. The servants told him to just leave them because he wouldn’t need them anymore. However, he insisted on taking the bundle with him. Even though he didn’t need the rags now, he felt more secure somehow if he could just hold on to them.

In the Palace banquet hall, the festivities were about to begin. So many were there, including the King himself. The man was seated, looking resplendent in his new attire. He hid his bundle of rags on his lap, underneath the tablecloth, so no one would see them.

The banquet was not to be believed! There were music and dancing, and every kind of delicacy imaginable. As the trays were passed, the beggar had difficulty getting the food onto his plate. He was constantly juggling the package of old rags on his lap, balancing it so it wouldn’t fall off. It constantly distracted him from what was going on in the grand hall.

Eventually, the evening ended and the great gala event was over. Everyone was stuffed to the gills except for the man clinging to his rag bundle. He was as hungry as when he had come in. He had never eaten even one morsel of the food. He had been too busy fixing and holding on to his old rags.

Today, Jesus invites all of us to God’s great banquet, to leave our old ways and old rags, and to say, “Yes!” to Him and to a new and glorious way of living. That is good news!

Prayer: Lord, your Word says that I am a new creation in Christ. Help me to not stay with the ways of my old self, but to walk in newness of life with You today. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

— Author unknown – Adapted

Meditation: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Leaving the City of Regret

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet, I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I’m talking about my annual “Guilt Trip”.

I got tickets to fly there on “WISH-I-HAD” airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which, I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been.

No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town. As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year’s most important event, the Annual Pity Party.

I wasn’t going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens would be there. First, there would be the Done family, you know, Should Have, Would Have and Could Have. Then came the I Had a family. You probably know ol‘ Wish and his clan. Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost. The biggest family would be the Yesterdays. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share. Then Shattered Dreams would surely make an appearance. And It’s Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life, and each story would be loudly applauded by Don’t Blame Me and I Couldn’t Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent “pity party” could be cancelled by ME!

I started to realize that I did not have to be there. I didn’t have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, “I can’t change yesterday, but I do have the power to make today a wonderful day”.

I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the city of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for the mistakes I’ve made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you are planning a trip to the city of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there. My neighbours, the I Forgive Myself and the New Starts are so very helpful.

By the way, you don’t have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival. You too can find this new town, just ask the Lord to show you the way. Now I live on I-CAN-DO-IT street.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13-15

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How Heavy is Your Bag?

One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes. For every person we’d refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy.

We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.

The hassle of lugging this around with us made it clear what a weight we were carrying spiritually, and how we had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget and keep leaving it in embarrassing places.

Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty slime. This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity!

Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and while that’s true, it clearly is also a gift for ourselves!

So the next time you decide you can’t forgive someone, ask yourself…

Isn’t MY bag heavy enough?

— Author Unknown

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. – Mark 11:25

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

What Do You Hear?

A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening. Suddenly, the Native American said, “I hear a cricket.”

His friend said, “What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!”

“No, I’m sure of it,” the Native American said, “I heard a cricket.”

“That’s crazy,” said the friend.

The Native American listened carefully for a moment and then walked across the street to a big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed.

“That’s incredible,” said his friend. “You must have superhuman ears!”

“No,” said the Native American. “My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for.”

“But that can’t be!” said the friend. “I could never hear a cricket in this noise.”

“Yes, it’s true,” came the reply. “It depends on what is really important to you. Here, let me show you.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs. “See what I mean?” asked the Native American. “It all depends on what’s important to you.”

What’s important to you? What do you listen for? Some people say that there is no God, and that He never speaks to us anymore. But perhaps they can’t see or hear Him because they aren’t listening for Him. They are living for themselves, not for God.

If you are in tune with God, you will be able to notice Him at work in your life and in the world. And you’ll be able to hear Him when He speaks.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. – Isaiah 51:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

True Love

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 a.m., when an elderly man in his 80’s, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.

He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, “And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?”

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.”

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goosebumps on my arm, and thought, “That is the kind of love I want in my life.”

True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. – 1 Corinthians 13:8 (Revised Standard Version)

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Jars

The preacher placed two identical jars on the table next to the pulpit. He quoted 1 Samuel 16:7 “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. A man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

“These jars came from the same factory, were made of the same materials, and can hold the same amount. But they are different,” he explained.

Then he upset one and it oozed out honey. He turned over the other, and vinegar spilt out. “When a jar is upset, whatever is in it comes out. Until the jars were upset, they looked alike. The difference was within, and could not be seen. When they were upset, their contents were revealed.”

“Until we are upset we put on a good front. But when we are upset, we reveal our innermost thoughts and attitudes, for ‘out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks’ (Luke 6:45).’”

What if someone tipped you over today? What would flow out?

Would you reveal the “honey” of grace and patience or the “vinegar” of anger and sarcasm?

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Have a terrific day knowing that the one who upsets you may be just looking for some honey.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!