A Kindness A Day
Romans 5:3
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance."
I love to read - always have. I suppose that's the reason I majored in English in college. Right now I'm reading Glenn Beck's 'The Christmas Sweater'. This is a direct quote from it:
"Most times we're so focused on what we think we want that we can't appreciate how happy we already are. It's only when we forget about our problems and help others forget theirs that we realize how good we really have it."
Proverbs 11:25
"The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed."
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed this warning:
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap . . . alone. . .
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it. It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap.
The snake bit the farmer's wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital.
When she returned home she still had a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient:
But his wife's sickness continued. Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig..
But, alas, the farmer's wife did not get well... She died.
So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them for the funeral luncheon.
And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, just remember the mouse story.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed this warning:
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap . . . alone. . .
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it. It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap.
The snake bit the farmer's wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital.
When she returned home she still had a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient:
But his wife's sickness continued. Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig..
But, alas, the farmer's wife did not get well... She died.
So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them for the funeral luncheon.
And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, just remember the mouse story.
~ Author unknown
____________________________________________________________________________
In times of stress or turmoil, it's really nice to know that others are thinking of you, and nicer to actually 'DO' something which lets others know that you are thinking of them.
In times of stress or turmoil, it's really nice to know that others are thinking of you, and nicer to actually 'DO' something which lets others know that you are thinking of them.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 - "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days."
For years, I've heard, "You can never 'out-give' God." Of course that should not be the 'reason' we 'do' for others..... THAT should be just because it's what God would have us do.
2 Corinthians 9:13 - "Under the test of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, and by the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others."
Sending you my thoughts and prayers that this weekend you will be blessed by someone, and that you'll also be blessed by letting someone know they are in your thoughts. It's 'a God thing'. Maggie
___________________________________________________________________________
A Kindness A Day Keeps the...
~A MountainWings Original by Marie Jacquelyne Clement, Canada~
~A MountainWings Original by Marie Jacquelyne Clement, Canada~
I am always helping people in one way or another. One day I was listening to a friend; I told her that I try to do one act of kindness everyday in hopes it will eradicate a sin I may have unconsciously committed in the Book of Life.
When I finished talking my husband said, "May I ride with you today when you go do the grocery shopping?" Surprised he would ask me that, I didn't question his request and said, "Sure why not, then we can spend some time together as you are always busy."
So we left and spent the whole day together. When we got home and put away the groceries. I thanked him for being so kind as to come with me. He answered, "M.J., the real reason that I went with you is because you always tell people to do just one
act of kindness, like eating an apple a day, keeps the Devil away, so I asked to ride with you to see if it was true."
Surprised I asked why and he replied, "Because I wanted to see if you practiced what you preach and trust me, I will never doubt anything you say again."
He said:
(1) When we got in the van, you let the car across from us go first while watching that no car was coming from behind and you
signaled him to go.
(2) When we reached the stop, you signaled for people to cross the street saying that this way you protect them at least when you are at the stop sign because most drivers don't care about people, they just want to be on their way.
(3) On the freeway you signaled the trailer trucks when you were letting them take the lane and slowed down to give them space to change lanes, saying that they had a delivery to make on time and that you had all the time in the world.
(4) When we arrived in the store parking lot as you went to take a spot, someone else just swiped in front of you and we had to go all the way to the back. You never got angry. You said, "Well, maybe he has sore legs and needs to be closer," and you
laughed. (I was walking with a cane at the time)
(5) As we arrived at the entrance door, you opened the door and let an elderly couple in saying, "Beauty before age."
Well when I counted up 25 acts of kindness I stopped counting because your one act of kindness just rolls into many more. I couldn't believe it; you are so kind that I am sure that in the Good Book it will outweigh whatever you do wrong. From now on I will also do your one act of kindness a day, and I will never doubt anything you say you do ever again.
I laughed and said, "Kindness is like a box of chocolates, when I open the box, I can never eat just one. I finish the box!" Which is true, that is why I don't buy a whole box; it doesn't last the day. But I am so used to being kind that I don't even
notice I am doing it. It is just loving my fellow man. Jesus did say "love thy neighbor as thyself."
When I finished talking my husband said, "May I ride with you today when you go do the grocery shopping?" Surprised he would ask me that, I didn't question his request and said, "Sure why not, then we can spend some time together as you are always busy."
So we left and spent the whole day together. When we got home and put away the groceries. I thanked him for being so kind as to come with me. He answered, "M.J., the real reason that I went with you is because you always tell people to do just one
act of kindness, like eating an apple a day, keeps the Devil away, so I asked to ride with you to see if it was true."
Surprised I asked why and he replied, "Because I wanted to see if you practiced what you preach and trust me, I will never doubt anything you say again."
He said:
(1) When we got in the van, you let the car across from us go first while watching that no car was coming from behind and you
signaled him to go.
(2) When we reached the stop, you signaled for people to cross the street saying that this way you protect them at least when you are at the stop sign because most drivers don't care about people, they just want to be on their way.
(3) On the freeway you signaled the trailer trucks when you were letting them take the lane and slowed down to give them space to change lanes, saying that they had a delivery to make on time and that you had all the time in the world.
(4) When we arrived in the store parking lot as you went to take a spot, someone else just swiped in front of you and we had to go all the way to the back. You never got angry. You said, "Well, maybe he has sore legs and needs to be closer," and you
laughed. (I was walking with a cane at the time)
(5) As we arrived at the entrance door, you opened the door and let an elderly couple in saying, "Beauty before age."
Well when I counted up 25 acts of kindness I stopped counting because your one act of kindness just rolls into many more. I couldn't believe it; you are so kind that I am sure that in the Good Book it will outweigh whatever you do wrong. From now on I will also do your one act of kindness a day, and I will never doubt anything you say you do ever again.
I laughed and said, "Kindness is like a box of chocolates, when I open the box, I can never eat just one. I finish the box!" Which is true, that is why I don't buy a whole box; it doesn't last the day. But I am so used to being kind that I don't even
notice I am doing it. It is just loving my fellow man. Jesus did say "love thy neighbor as thyself."
It is really reassuring to note that at least some people are there who are keen to help others. Nowadays all are so busy that no one has got the time to help others. All are bothered about their problems only. As pointed out by the author through the story of mouse we should not stay away from the problems of other people. We should try to help them solve their problems because in the long run we are also going to be affected by those problems.
Reply to this