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| You are EITHER ... " Humbly Grateful OR 'Grumbly' Hateful !" |
The following Story is a Humbling Example of :
- Accepting Gracefully the 'bad' .......without complaint, &
- The 'good' .......with Gratitude to God.
This Story crossed my desk & Shifted my Paradigm, of the 'real pragmatic meaning' of ....
"Gratitude & Humbleness"........
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance.
We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic.
One summer evening, there was a knock at the door.
One summer evening, there was a knock at the door.
I opened it to see a truly 'awful' looking 'old' man.....
"He's hardly taller than my eight-year-old,"
........I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body.
"He's hardly taller than my eight-year-old,"
........I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body.
But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw....
Yet, his voice was pleasant as he said,
Yet, his voice was pleasant as he said,
"Good evening.
I've come to see if you've a room for just one night.
I've come to see if you've a room for just one night.
I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room.
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room.
"I guess it's my face...
I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me,
I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me,
"I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch.
My bus leaves early in the morning."
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.
I went inside and finished getting supper.
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.
I went inside and finished getting supper.
When we were ready,
I asked the old man if he would join us.
I asked the old man if he would join us.
"No thank you, I have plenty."
......And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes.
It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an 'Oversized Heart of Compassion' crowded into that tiny body.
He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was, (in sincerity), prefaced with a Thanks to God for a Blessing.
He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was, (in sincerity), prefaced with a Thanks to God for a Blessing.
(.....what an "Attitude" !
it left me with goosebumps....!)
He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer.
He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer.
He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him.
When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.
He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said,
"Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him.
When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.
He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said,
"Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit.
I can sleep fine in a chair."
He paused a moment and then added,
"Your children made me feel at home.
Grown-ups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind."
I told him he was welcome to come again.
And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning.
I told him he was welcome to come again.
And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning.
As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen.
He said he had 'sucked' them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh.
I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m., and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us......
In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, ........every leaf carefully washed.
Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious..!
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m., and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us......
In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, ........every leaf carefully washed.
Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious..!
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
"Did you keep that awful looking man last night?
I turned him away!
You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice.
I turned him away!
You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice.
But oh!
If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness would have been easier to bear.
I know our family will always be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.
Recently, I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse.
As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum bursting with blooms.
But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket.
Recently, I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse.
As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum bursting with blooms.
But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket.
I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"
My friend changed my mind.
My friend changed my mind.
"I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail.
It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly,
but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.
"Here's an especially beautiful one,"
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly,
but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.
"Here's an especially beautiful one,"
God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman.
"He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago -- and now, in God's garden, how majestically 'Tall' this lovely Soul must stand, in Eternity !
"He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago -- and now, in God's garden, how majestically 'Tall' this lovely Soul must stand, in Eternity !
Some 'Impressions' & 'After thoughts' to linger on..........
(If the 'shoe' would fit ...Please put it on !
Courageously acknowledge your mistakes of the past, & put it 'right' ... :
Go & beg... for Forgiveness!
* Do NOT ever try & Impress me / others with your so-called 'respectability' because of 'earthly success', through showing-off your 'affluence & influence' in games of 'names-dropping' .....
Then, turning around, & treat ' needy' people in your 'sphere of influence' like disposable dirt.....is despicable ?
* Your 'looks', health, family & children, even a permanent 'Job' that produces a liveable income, & such-like 'variables' are mere 'Gifts', on 'loan' to you & could be removed from you in an Instant!
Don't de-test & look down on those that are for whatever reason NOT on 'par' of being equally Blessed-in-Abundance !
Your 'Chip on the shoulder' & 'Halo of Superiority' for these 'Claim to Fame of Success' is grossly unjustified....
You have NO claim on that & did 'nothing' to have earned it!
Ever Gratitude in Humbleness, & being on your Knees 24/7, -are perhaps a more appropriate attitude & stance to take!
* The fact that your 'external looks at face-value', might not be a 1st prize, -doesn't mean you couldn't have a '1st Prize attitude & personality' that would serve as a confirmation of an 'Internal Character of Beauty'
* Real Hospitality & Gratitude in 'what' you're Giving, -is NOT a function of 'how much' you've got; it is rather a spin-off of the 'Magnitude of Greatness' of the 'Real' person & the 'Sincerity of the Gratitude' .......
* Our Compassion for other people, has got a direct bearing on the ' Real Love' that we have for God..!
We can ONLY have 'Love' for God, through wholeheartedly accepting His' Love for us, in His Son Jesus Christ, & 'Pass this on' through reflecting these two ' Ultimate' Commandments' to others, obeying the ' Great Commission' !
* Our Compassion for other people, has got a direct bearing on the ' Real Love' that we have for God..!
We can ONLY have 'Love' for God, through wholeheartedly accepting His' Love for us, in His Son Jesus Christ, & 'Pass this on' through reflecting these two ' Ultimate' Commandments' to others, obeying the ' Great Commission' !
* The Measure of Greatness, in Heavenly measurements, are an inverse of the criteria we (as 'ungodly' humans), are 'constantly' using to ascertain our 'Success' on earth.
Never forget, -you are JUST 'Passing-through' .......
If, you are very fortunate, -for a mere 60~70 years!
If, you are very fortunate, -for a mere 60~70 years!
Each of us WILL BE 'Judged' , 'One Day' on the criteria we have used ' today' towards others...!
The 'Human-soul' is precious & of 'Eternal Value'...!
NO human-being is EVER 'disposable'; -so much more, if by their 'loved-ones' .....
May "YOU" be 'Graciously Merciful' in the ' judging' & rejecting of 'others Souls' ...!
May "YOU" be 'Graciously Merciful' in the ' judging' & rejecting of 'others Souls' ...!
Shalom & Maranatha
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