A Bucket of Money

 

One fine evening a man walked into a fast-food chicken place and bought a nine-piece bucket of chicken. He took his chicken to the park for a romantic picnic under the moonlight with his lady.

Upon reaching into the bucket, however, he received a surprise. Instead of chicken, he discovered what was apparently the restaurant’s night deposit–nine thousand dollars. The young man brought the bucket back to the store and asked for his chicken in exchange for the money. The manager, in awe of the young man’s honesty, asked for his name and told him he wanted to call the newspaper and the local news station to do a story on him. He would become a local hero, an example of honesty and morality that would inspire others!

The hungry man shrugged it off. “My date’s waiting. I just want my chicken.”

The manager’s renewed amazement over the young man’s humility almost overwhelmed him. He begged to be allowed to tell the story on the news. At this, the honest man became angry with the manager and demanded his chicken.

“I don’t get it,” the manager responded. “You are an honest man in a dishonest world! This is a perfect opportunity to show the world that there are honest people still willing to take a stand for what is right. Please, give me your name and also the woman’s name. Is that your wife?”

“That’s the problem,” said the young man. “My wife is at home. The woman in the car is my girlfriend. Now let me have my chicken so I can get out of here.”

It’s easy to look good to people who don’t know you. Many of us do good deeds here and there, go to church, say the right words, and everyone thinks we’re something that we’re not. But God sees your heart. It really doesn’t matter how much you do or what other people think of you. What matters is what’s on the inside.

“The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Ideas and Resources

 

It is easy to idealize about things that should be done or put in place when we are not the ones paying the bills. But when put in direct charge of coming up with the resources to procure those things, ideas stop flowing.

-Babatunde Oladele

The Art of Forgiving

The most creative power given to the human spirit is the power to heal the wounds of a past it cannot change.

We do our forgiving alone inside our hearts and minds; what happens to the people we forgive depends on them.

The first person to benefit from forgiving is the one who does it.

Forgiving happens in three stages: we rediscover the humanity of the person who wronged us; we surrender our right to get even, and we wish that person well.

Forgiving is a journey; the deeper the wound, the longer the journey.

Forgiving does not require us to reunite with the person who broke our trust.

We do not forgive because we are supposed to; we forgive when we are ready to be healed.

Waiting for someone to repent before we forgive is to surrender our future to the person who wronged us.

Forgiving is not a way to avoid pain but to heal the pain.

Forgiving someone who breaks a trust does not mean that we give him his job back.

Forgiving is the only way to be fair to ourselves.

Forgivers are not doormats; to forgive a person is not a signal that we are willing to put up with what he does.

Forgiving is essential; talking about it is optional.

When we forgive, we set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner we set free is us.

When we forgive we walk in stride with the forgiving God.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:15

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Writing and Editing

Writing and editing are not your usual kind of operations. The mental demands mean there are certain restrictions that will not be subject to your deadlines, unless they are done ahead of schedule.

-Babatunde Oladele

Entertaining Angels

It was 50 years ago, on a hot summer day, in the deep south. We lived on a dirt road, on a sand lot. We were, what was known as “dirt poor”. I had been playing outside all morning in the sand.

Suddenly, I heard a sharp clanking sound behind me and looking over my shoulder, my eyes were drawn to a strange sight! Across the dirt road were two rows of men, dressed in black and white, striped, baggy uniforms. Their faces were covered with dust and sweat. They looked so weary, and they were chained together with huge, black, iron chains. Hanging from the end of each chained row was a big, black, iron ball.

They were, as polite people said in those days, a “Chain Gang,” guarded by two, heavily armed, white guards. I stared at the prisoners as they settled uncomfortably down in the dirt, under the shade of some straggly trees. One of the guards walked towards me. Nodding as he passed, he went up to our front door and knocked. My mother appeared at the door, and I heard the guard ask if he could have permission to get water from the pump, in the backyard, so that “his men” could “have a drink”. My mother agreed, but I saw a look of concern on her face, as she called me inside.

I stared through the window as each prisoner was unchained from the line, to hobble over to the pump and drink his fill from a small tin cup, while a guard watched vigilantly. It wasn’t long before they were all chained back up again, with prisoners and guards retreating into the shade, away from an unrelenting sun. I heard my mother call me into the kitchen, and I entered, to see her bustling around with tins of tuna fish, mayonnaise, our last loaf of bread, and two, big, pitchers of lemonade. In what seemed “a blink of an eye”, she had made a tray of sandwiches using all the tuna we were to have had for that night’s supper.

My mother was smiling as she handed me one of the pitchers of lemonade, cautioning me to carry it “carefully” and to “not spill a drop.” Then, lifting the tray in one hand and holding a pitcher in her other hand, she marched me to the door, deftly opening it with her foot, and trotted me across the street. She approached the guards, flashing them with a brilliant smile. “We had some leftovers from lunch,” she said, “and I was wondering if we could share with you and your men.” She smiled at each of the men, searching their dark eyes with her own eyes of “robin’s egg blue.”

Everyone started to their feet. “Oh no!” she said. “Stay where you are! I’ll just serve you!” Calling me to her side, she went from guard to guard, then from prisoner to prisoner, filling each tin cup with lemonade, and giving each man a sandwich.

It was very quiet, except for a “thank you, ma’am,” and the clanking of the chains. Very soon we were at the end of the line, my mother’s eyes softly scanning each face. The last prisoner was a big man, his dark skin pouring with sweat, and streaked with dust. Suddenly, his face broke into a wonderful smile, as he looked up into my mother’s eyes, and he said, “Ma’am, I’ve wondered all my life if I’d ever see an angel, and now I have! Thank you!”

Again, my mother’s smile took in the whole group. “You’re all welcome!” she said. “God bless you.” Then we walked across to the house, with empty tray and pitchers, and back inside.

Soon, the men moved on, and I never saw them again. The only explanation my mother ever gave me, for that strange and wonderful day, was that I “remember, always, to entertain strangers, for by doing so, you may entertain angels, without knowing.”

Then, with a mysterious smile, she went about the rest of the day. I don’t remember what we ate for supper, that night. I just know it was served by an angel.

Meditation: Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. – Luke 6:38

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Not Everyone Who Sees Discerns the Truth

Not everyone who has a head uses it to think beyond the banalities of life; not everyone who speaks knows the rudiments of what they are harping about; and not everyone who sees discerns the truth from the facts.

Marriage and Wisdom

 

Marriage is perhaps one of the best indicators of our smartness and an extractor of the real person within us. Solomon was the wisest man in his time. This was until his choice of marital alliance and the steps he took afterwards proved him otherwise.

-Babatunde Oladele