Whose Hands?

Photo Credit: Josep Ma. Rosell via CC Flickr

Perception of the circumstances and things that happen throughout our lives can be so very important. Sometimes, when things happen, it seems as if we have no control over them…they are out of our hands. But…are the circumstances that we experience REALLY out of our hands?IT DEPENDS WHOSE HANDS THEY ARE IN!

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan’s hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Mark Mcquire’s hands is worth $19 million.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras’ hands is a Wimbledon Championship
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid’s toy.
A sling shot in David’s hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God’ hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it’s in. So put your concerns, your worries your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God’s hands because — It depends whose hands it’s in!

The Story of the Carrots, Eggs, and Coffee

Photo Credits: (All via Flickr):
Coffee: Nate Steiner
Carrots: John Morgan
Eggs: Alisha Vargas

Adversity in our lives affects everyone in different ways. While some people may act a certain way in a situation, another individual may react to the same situation. Through these times of trials and hardships, people can either grown and become stronger or they can become depressed and fall into a pit of despair.

The short story in today’s blog gives us a great illustration of the kinds of people that not only deal with life’s difficulties and hardships, but also, of what they can become.

A certain daughter complained to her father about her life and how things have been so hard for her. She did not how she was going to make it and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved another arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water and placed the fire on high. Soon the three pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the other he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word. The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently wondered what he was trying to do. She had problems, and he was making this strange concoction.

A half hour later he walked over to the oven and turned down the fire. He pulled the carrots out and placed them in the bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in the bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked. “Darling what do you see?”
Smartly, she replied. “Carrots, eggs, and coffee.”

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Her face frowned from the strength of the coffee. Humbly, she asked. “What does it mean Father?”

He explained. Each of them faced the same adversity, 212 degrees of boiling water. However each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after going through boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg was fragile. A thin outer shell protected a liquid center. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The coffee beans are unique however. After they were in the boiling water, it became stronger and richer.

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter.

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with the smallest amount of pain, adversity or heat, you wilt and become soft with no strength.

Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? A fluid spirit.
But after a , a breakup, a divorce, a layoff you became hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but you are so bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart, internally.

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean does not get its peak flavor and robust until it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better.

When things are at their worst, you get better. . . When people talk the most, your praises increase. . . When the hour is the darkest, trials are there greatest, your worship elevates to another level.

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

We All Need A Dent in Our Car

Photo Credit: Cookaa via Wikimedia

I was reading a story by a friend of mine at “Pastor Mike Says” the other day which really made me realize that not all things happen for reasons that we think. Sometimes things may occur to us that seem to have a definite clear-cut reason as to why it happened but actually, it took place for a completely different reason from what we thought.

How many times in our lives to we react and / or jump to a conclusion before we know the real reason something happened. The following true story is a great illustration about jumping to conclusions and dealing with the “bricks” that occasionally may come into our lives.

About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was driving down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going way fast in his slick, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He was watching for kids running out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and…WHUMP! it smashed into the Jag’s shiny black side door! BRAKES SCREECHED!!!!

Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what do you think you are doing?!” Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is going to cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?”

“Please, mister, please …. I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!” pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop!” Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “Would you please help me by getting him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checked to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched, as the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE – a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the dented side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention….. Some bricks are softer than others. Prepare yourself for the bricks of life that are coming at you and THINK before you REACT.

The Simple Wisdom of a Child

There are times, every once in a while, that adults will be put back “in their place” by the simple wisdom of a child. Sometimes as adults, we think we know better and know more than children and get so defensive in what we believe in, the we forget that a child may see things from a different perspective.

Today’s story is a humorous reminder of this simple truth….

The Simple Wisdom of a Child

~ Author Unknown ~

clippervacations.com

In a grade school lesson, a teacher was explaining a little bit about whales.

A little girl in class piped up and said: “I just learned that Jonah in the bible was swallowed by a whale.”

The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was relatively small.

The girl said: "I am sure Jonah was swallowed by a whale."

The teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; that it was physically impossible.

The little girl replied: "My Sunday school teacher told me Jonah was swallowed and she would not lie to me.”

A bit perturbed by this, the teacher proclaimed: "That is a “story” from the bible, it is not factual, and I will not argue with you."

After a little thought, the girl responded: "Well, when I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah".

Now challenged, the teacher spouted: "What if Jonah didn’t go to heaven?"

Not at all daunted, the girl quipped, " . . . . . ok then you ask him."

- - “Out of the mouth of babes . . . “

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Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.