A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old University of Notre Dame lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said:
"If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."
"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.
Friday, October 28, 2005
THE BRICK
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?" The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother, "he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:
"Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:
"Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.
Monday, October 03, 2005
A McDonald's love story...
A McDonald's love story...
A little old couple walked slowly into a McDonald's one cold winter
evening.
They looked out of place amid the young families and young couples
eating there that night.
Some of the customers looked admiringly at them. You could tell what
the admirers were thinking:
"Look, there is a couple who has been through a lot together, probably
for 60 years or more!"
The little old man walked up to the cash register, placed his order
with no hesitation and then paid for their meal.
The couple took a table near the back wall and started taking food off
of the tray.
There was one hamburger, one order of french fries and one drink.
The little old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it
in half.
He placed one half in front of his wife.
Then he carefully counted out the french fries, divided them in two
piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.
He took a sip of the drink, and then his wife took a sip as the man
began to eat his few bites.
Again, you could tell what people around the old couple were saying. -
"They were used to sharing everything."
Then the crowd noticed that the little old lady still hadn't eaten a
thing.
She just sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally sipped
some of the drink.
A young man came over and begged them to let him buy them another meal.
The lady explained that no, they were used to sharing.
As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face neatly
with a napkin, the young man could stand it no longer and asked again.
After being politely refused again, he finally asked the little old
lady, "Ma'am, why aren't you eating. You said that you share everything.
What is it that you are waiting for?"
She answered,
"THE TEETH"
A little old couple walked slowly into a McDonald's one cold winter
evening.
They looked out of place amid the young families and young couples
eating there that night.
Some of the customers looked admiringly at them. You could tell what
the admirers were thinking:
"Look, there is a couple who has been through a lot together, probably
for 60 years or more!"
The little old man walked up to the cash register, placed his order
with no hesitation and then paid for their meal.
The couple took a table near the back wall and started taking food off
of the tray.
There was one hamburger, one order of french fries and one drink.
The little old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it
in half.
He placed one half in front of his wife.
Then he carefully counted out the french fries, divided them in two
piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.
He took a sip of the drink, and then his wife took a sip as the man
began to eat his few bites.
Again, you could tell what people around the old couple were saying. -
"They were used to sharing everything."
Then the crowd noticed that the little old lady still hadn't eaten a
thing.
She just sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally sipped
some of the drink.
A young man came over and begged them to let him buy them another meal.
The lady explained that no, they were used to sharing.
As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face neatly
with a napkin, the young man could stand it no longer and asked again.
After being politely refused again, he finally asked the little old
lady, "Ma'am, why aren't you eating. You said that you share everything.
What is it that you are waiting for?"
She answered,
"THE TEETH"
Hope.
"All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
- Romans 8:25(NKJV).
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