Topic(s): Love

It was approximately 8:30 a.m. on a busy morning at the doctor’s office when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry to make an appointment at 9:00 a.m.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it might be an hour before he would be seen. Seeing him look at his watch, I decided since I was not busy with another patient I would evaluate his wound. On exam, I saw it was well healed, so I talked to the doctor and got the supplies to remove his sutures.

While redressing his wound, we engaged in conversation. I asked him if he was in a hurry to meet another doctor’s appointment. He said no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He said that she was a long-time victim of Alzheimer’s Disease.

I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was; in fact, she had not recognized him in five years. I was surprised and asked, “And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?” He smiled, patted my hand, and said, “She doesn’t know who I am, but I still know who she is.”

I had to hold back tears as he left. Goose bumps covered my arm as I thought, “That is the kind of love I want in my life!”

True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church . . .”
—Ephesians 5:25

Wonderful Mother

Topic(s): Mother

God made a wonderful mother;
A mother who never grows old;
He made her smile of the sunshine
And molded her heart of pure gold;
In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,
In her cheeks, fair roses you see;
God made a wonderful mother,
And he gave that dear mother to me.

My Mean Parents

Topic(s): Father, Mother

I had the meanest parents in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When other kids had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich.

My parents insisted on knowing where I was all the time. I felt like I was on a chain gang. They had to know who my friends were and what I was doing. They insisted that if I would be gone for an hour, that I was gone for an hour or less.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but they actually had the nerve to break the child labor law. They made me work. I had to help them do chores in the house and outside in the yard. You know, things like make my bed and rake the leaves—all sorts of odd things. I think they’d actually lay awake nights thinking of mean things to do to me.
And when I became a teenager, it got worse. They’d make me bring my friends and dates to the door so they could meet them. How humiliating!

My friends were lucky. They got to date at the mature age of 12 or 13, but my old fashioned parents refused to let me date until I was 16.

My mom and dad were complete failures as parents. I was never arrested, never got into fights, never talked back to a teacher, never got kicked out of school. I got along with everybody. And who do I have to thank for this terrible way I turned out? My mean parents. They made me grow into a God-fearing, educated, honest adult.

[Thank you, Lord, for giving me the “meanest” parents on earth. They saved me much heartache and pain. They saved my life.] —Author Unknown

A Monopoly Life is an Empty Life

Topic(s): Priorities

Does the name Charles Darrow ring a bell with you? Probably not, but you are familiar with what he did. During the great depression of the early 30s, Mr. Darrow of Germantown, Pennsylvania was an unemployed heating engineer. With plenty of spare time on his hands, he began concocting a new board game which he made and reproduced by hand.

In 1935, Parker Brothers purchased the game called “Monopoly.” Since that time, more than 90 million Monopoly games have been sold. The object of the game is strictly capitalistic. The more financial gain you achieve, the better your chances of winning. This is very much the foundation on which many homes are built today. Everything done is tied to making that next dollar. Often the more lasting, valuable things are pushed aside. The problem with this kind of living is that when you come to the end, you realize you have lost. Paul said, “For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7). Let’s remember today the really important things and keep our lives in perspective.

Will Your Children Go to Heaven?

Topic(s): Children

Church leaders all over the nation are concerned about the drop-out rate of young people. And well they should be. It is a tragic thing to see these precious boys and girls, who are so thrilled with Bible Study as little people, grow cold and uninterested in the Lord’s work as they grow older.

Lately, several congregations have made in-depth studies of the factors leading to youth leaving the church, with an eye to learning what might be done to help solve this problem. What do we need? More youth programs? More rallies? Special teachers?

A great central truth has begun to emerge from these studies. Their faithfulness to Jesus doesn’t have anything to do with special programs or teachers. It is not dependent on whether they are members of a large congregation or a small one. The single most important factor is their own immediate family.

One congregation found that when both parents were faithful to the Lord, and that includes active interest in the local congregation's programs, 93 percent of the children remained faithful. On the other hand, if only one parent was faithful, the figure dropped to 73 percent. Where both parents were only marginally active, it fell to 53 percent. Now comes the shocker—when both parents attended infrequently, 6 percent of their children remained faithful to the Lord.

Do you want your children to go to heaven? Then make certain you are leading them. The likelihood is they’ll go no other way! —Tid-Bits by Ron Readhimer