Few drops of Water

Few drops of Water - By Unknown It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt seven farmers before it was through. Everyday, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn't see some rain soon...we would lose everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn't walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort...trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walk carefully to the woods, run back to the house. Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen...as he was obviously doing important work and didn't need his Mommy checking up on him). He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them...maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing sight. Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him...he didn't even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift it's head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand. When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree. I followed him back to the house; to a spigot that we had shut off the water to. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip slowly fill up his makeshift "cup", as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me. The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn't ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him. His little eyes just filled with tears. "I'm not wasting", was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him...with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops and more drops and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride. Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. That miracles don't really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can't argue with that...I'm not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm...just like the actions of one little boy saved another. Contributed by: nithingroups@gmail.com

Each Day is a Gift...

Each Day Is A Gift by Author Unknown The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room... just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged, it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away, just for this time in my life." She went on to explain, "Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing." And with a smile, she said: "Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less."

Motivational Photos- A Motivating Story...

Motivational Photos By Catherine Pulsifer Recently a friend of mine was visiting in my office. She commented on the motivational photos on my walls. "No wonder you never give up, everything in your office reinforces you to keep going,” she said. I hadn't realized the number of motivational pictures and sayings that were there. Here are some of the sayings that are on the pictures in my office: "Believe in Yourself" "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." "There is nothing like a dream to create the future." "Persistence prevails when all else fails." "What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." "Enjoy where you are at while you are waiting to get to where you want to be!" "Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground." "Count Your Many Blessings" And of course, I also have the monthly motivational calendar hanging in my office, with a quote for each day of the month. After my friends comment, I realized that, yes; the décor in my office does reinforce my determination. Many times I look at one of these pictures and read the saying, especially when I am facing a challenge - it does make a difference. Studies have shown that what we read, what music we listen to; the décor in our home and office all can have an affect on our mood. Surround yourself with positive reminders for days when you need a bit of reinforcement! Your Move Life Is A Game, Play It; Life Is A Challenge, Meet It; Life Is An Opportunity, capture It.

Listening to the Whispers Within

Listening to the Whispers Within By Michelle C. Ustaszeski Beginning in our younger years, and reinforced time and time again, we have been encouraged to reach for the stars and to follow our dreams, yet so few of us actually voyage through such a beautiful, satisfying, and difficult journey to its end. It is the journey of finding our soul's desire, recognizing and following signs along the way, while listening only to the songs and the harmony of what our hearts sing. It is allowing our souls to find their way back to where they belong. to a place where we can exhale and rest in peace once our time here has come to an end. We allow guilt to overcome, fear to overwhelm, time to discourage, and we give permission to our daily routines and current circumstances to imprison our own fate. We deny ourselves from reaching our own destinies and from the true happiness that we all deserve. We learn many lessons throughout our lives. Some of these lessons may interfere, challenge, or overcome other, more important lessons. We have been told that focusing on ourselves, our own needs, and our own desires can be an act of selfishness. We've learned that pleasing and thinking of others before ourselves is an act of heroism. Perhaps we feel that following our own hearts and dreams, doing what we love to do, and aiming for such pleasures is being selfish, but it's not. Perhaps we feel ashamed for climbing the ladder of success when it demands change and possibly a level of discomfort for those we love the most who travel this journey along with us, but we shouldn't. And perhaps we feel we are to blame because with each step, each reach, we must leave something or even someone behind, but we aren't. While letting go of guilt and giving ourselves permission to follow our hearts, we have to also be aware that fear dictates our every move. The fear of failure may be universal, but so is the fact that if we do not try, we are giving ourselves a life sentence of nothingness. a life where we will simply exist. Although it can be frightening to move forward into the unknown armed with nothing more than faith and to gamble with the lives, people, and things we treasure the most, it is much more frightening to be aware that if we don't, the fear that is holding us back today will transform itself into regret later in life. The fear we experience should be regarded and compared to nothing more than a mother's tender, loving, and protective embrace. Once she sees your strength, your courage, and how well you have learned to fly, she will set you free. In a world where instant gratification is becoming more and more rampant, the issue of time itself can become a discouraging factor when imagining how long our journeys may take. Each dream and journey could take years, even a complete lifetime to obtain and travel to. Time is essential to the process as there are necessary experiences that we will need to endure and valuable lessons that we will have to extract in order to reach our destination. Do not allow the uncontrollable to discourage you. Just as a mother cannot rush the birth of her miracle until it has gone through each of its necessary stages, we must let our days unfold and go through each of their own stages. If we continue to nurture our dreams, we too, will hold our own miracles. What is in front of us today may actually be our hearts most dangerous keeper... a master in disguise, concealing the truth while imprisoning us within an easy dwelling and comforting zone. Although our prison cells are made up of nothing more than a layer of haze placed before our eyes only, for all of our other senses know, we remain motionless as if surrounded by an indestructible barricade. The circumstances we live in and our daily routines hinder our dreams from moving forward and prevent our desires from taking action without even being aware of it. We sometimes confuse an eventful life with a fulfilled one. We allow our days to interfere with our destinies by focusing most or all of our emotions and actions on insignificant and irrelevant matters. We are all born with dreams and desires and have places we want to go. Do not let the longing to find a place where you can stop and rest cause you to settle down short of your destination. Extract your lessons and continue on with your journey. We need to step away from the world we live in from time to time, sit in silence, and hear what our hearts and souls are whispering within us. We need to remove ourselves from the everyday sameness and think about where it is that we want to go. We need to follow our hearts by closing our eyes and becoming aware of our inner surroundings. We all have an imaginary sanctuary that we travel to when we close our eyes to rest at night or when the world we live in is not in harmony with whom we really are or who we really need to be. Why not close your eyes, visit that place as often as you can, and listen to each and every whisper. So that one day. When you do open your eyes, you will know exactly where to go and how to get there. Then you, your mind, your heart, and your soul can finally all rest as one. Go now, sit back in silence, and listen to the whispers within.

The Trouble Tree...

A Motivational Story with Wisdom- The Trouble Tree by Author Unknown The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farm house had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire had caused him to miss an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pick-up truck refused to start. As I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. When we arrived he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked to the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles; he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed by the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, they don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So, I just hang them on the tree when I come home in the evening and then I just pick them up again in the morning." "Funny thing, though," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remembered hanging there the night before."

Desperation to Inspiration in Thirty Minutes Flat!

A Motivational Story with Wisdom - Desperation to Inspiration in Thirty Minutes Flat! By Peter Simmons I'm no success guru, in fact I've never written an article on this subject before, ever! So why am I writing it now you ask? To tell you of something that truly inspired me and I hope will inspire you too. Steve and I have been best friends for about twenty years now. Like most people we've had our ups and downs over the years and despite moving to different areas we've still kept in touch. In fact I really like that about our friendship, no matter what happens we'll always keep in touch and support each other. We're not really the kind of best friends that contact each other every day or even every other day. On average it's probably about every two to three weeks. I suppose like most people we have tried to weave our way through life with what we have. Neither of us setting the world alight when we left school with only minor school qualifications and not really being good at anything in particular. Steve had always considered himself impaired in some way. He discovered he was dyslexic sometime later and led a dyslexic life. He didn't read or write unless forced and this ultimately had a huge impact on his life. He didn't learn much and he didn't know what was going on in the world because he didn't watch the news, read newspapers, books or sign up for any courses. Worst of all, he increasingly suffered from a lack of self-confidence that affected everything he did or thought about doing negatively. I noticed it more and more and it really got me down to see him like that. I tried to encourage him telling him he could do anything he wanted and giving examples of people who had achieved in their lives often against what seemed to be huge obstacles. It wasn't having much effect he just saw the negative. One day I saw one of those TV ads for a TV programme that was just about to start. The programme was apparently going to be investigating a new treatment for dyslexia sufferers. He might find it interesting I thought and sent him a phone text message, "channel 3 now". I watched the thirty-minute programme. Although it was still early in their research trials, their results were positive. I wondered if he had seen it and found it interesting. I didn't hear from him, so made a mental note to ask him what he thought of it next time we spoke and thought no more about it. The TV programme had showed that so far in the trials, if sufferers did a series of eye and body coordination exercises daily, they significantly improved their learning abilities, reading and writing. This in-turn had a profound effect on their self-confidence and daily lives. They didn't consider themselves impaired or different anymore, they became new people and people saw that dramatic change in them instantly. A few days later he phoned me. Something had changed in his voice, he sounded charged with excitement. As I sat stunned he explained that his whole life had changed. Everything that the dyslexia sufferers in the TV programme had suffered he had also suffered. Feelings of being worthless, stupid, confused, lacking in concentration, severe frustration, lack of confidence. He identified with these people of all ages who felt the same as he did, he wasn't the only one suffering with it. He wasn't alone anymore. I remained stunned as he continued to talk and eventually he became conscious of the fact he hadn't stopped talking. I told him to carry on because it was good to hear him talking so positively and confidently. He'd also just landed a new job as a care support worker which involves helping and supporting others with some kind of difficulty in their homes. I couldn't believe the transformation I was witnessing. A few days later I spoke to him again by phone and was relieved to find that it hadn't been a dream, it was real and he was still the new Steve. He was still positive and motivated. He'd even started to read a book, something he hadn't done before. At the time I write this article, Steve has sent off for more information on the trials and the oversubscribed course they are beginning to offer. He hasn't yet received any information or taken any courses, yet he feels as if he's benefited because he's been doing some of the simple daily exercises he saw being done by the sufferers on the programme. Steve, you inspired me! I hope by writing this article it will inspire others to change their lives for the better too, whether you suffer with dyslexia or not. Always be on the lookout for that spark of opportunity that could change your life or someone close to you forever.

Picture in my Wallet...

A ticket collector in a train found an old worn out wallet in a compartment full of many people. He looked inside to find the name of its owner. There was no clue. All that there was in it, was some money and a picture of Krishna. He held it up and asked, “Who does this wallet belong to?” An old man said, “That’s my wallet, please give it to me.” The ticket collector said, “You’ll have to prove that it is yours. Only then I can hand it over to you.” The old man smiled a toothless smile and said. “It has a picture of Krishna in it.” The ticket collector said, “That is no proof; anyone can have a picture of Krishna in his wallet. What is special about that? Why is your picture not there in it?” The old man took a deep breath and said, “Let me tell you why my picture is not there in it. My father gave this wallet to me when I was in school. I used to get a small sum as pocket money then. I had kept a picture of my parents in it. When I was a teenager I was greatly enamored by my good looks. I removed my parent’s picture and put in, one of my own. I loved to see my own face and my thick black hair. Some years later, I got married. My wife was very beautiful and I loved her a lot. I replaced my own picture in this wallet with a picture of her. I spent hours gazing at her pretty face. When my first child was born, my life started a new chapter. I shortened my working hours, to play with my baby. I went late to work and returned home early too. Obviously, my baby’s picture occupied the prized position in my wallet.” The old man’s eyes brimmed with tears as he went on. “My parents passed away many years ago. Last year my wife too left her mortal coil. My son; my only son is too busy with his family. He has no time to look after me. All that I had ever held close to my heart is far, far away from my reach now. Now I have put this picture of Krishna in my wallet. It is only now that I have realized that He is the eternal companion. He will never leave me. Alas! If only I had realized this before. If only I had loved the Lord all these years, with the same intensity as I loved my family, I would not have been so lonely today!” The collector quietly gave the wallet to the old man. When the train stopped at the next station, the ticket collector went to the book stall at the platform and asked the salesman, “Do you have any pictures of God? I need a small one to put in my wallet!”

Life is not measured...

I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there. With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Class is over. I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. "Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the Powers way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day." Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. "Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the 'stuff' of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at anytime it can all be taken away." The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook. Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot, or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do. Remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away . . .

Shake It Off and Step Up

Shake It Off and Step Up A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED IUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity... THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US! Remember that FORGIVENESS- -FAITH--PRAYER- -PRAISE and HOPE...all are excellent ways to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP" out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

TANSEN THE SINGER

TANSEN THE SINGER Here is an anecdote from the life of the famous Emperor Akbar who was very fond of music. Musicians and artisans were given a lot of encouragement at Akbar's court. The great singer Tansen was his court singer. One day Akbar said, "Tansen, you sing so beautifully. I am sure that there is no one in the world who can sing better than you." Tansen replied humbly, "Badshah Salamat (your royal highness), I beg to differ. There is one person who sings more sweetly than me." Akbar said, "That is impossible. Who is he?" Tansen said, "Oh Badshah! He is my Guru Shri Haridas. If you want to hear him sing, you shall have to come with me to Vrindavan." So it was settled. Akbar went to Vrindavan along with Tansen. They reached there in the late evening. Tansen said, "Maharaj, my Guru should be resting now. Let us also sleep. We shall go to see him in the morning." In the wee hours of the morning, Akbar woke up to the sound of someone singing. He listened intently. The singer was singing a devotional song, to wake up the baby Krishna sleeping in His cradle. So sweet were the notes and so heavily were they drenched in love and devotion that the voice was divine and sweet beyond words. Akbar was totally immersed in the sweet nectarine words and intoxicating music. Tansen woke up to find Akbar totally overwhelmed by the sweetness of the song that he was unconsciously an audience to. Tansen whispered into the ear of the Emperor, "My Lord that is my Guru Haridas." Akbar slowly opened his tear-filled eyes and asked, "You too sing in my court Tansen; but what is this? Yah Allah! What sweetness! I have never experienced this before! What is the difference?" Tansen said, "Badshah Salamat there is only one difference. But it is a great big difference." "What is that?" "My Lord, I sing for the Badshah of Delhi. My Guru Haridas sings for the Badshah of the Universe!" What an enormous difference! Anything and everything that is done with love and devotion for God becomes sweet and beautiful. Bhagawan Baba tells us that, devotion is not a uniform to be worn on special occasions. Devotion is a way of life!

THE SON'S PORTRAIT

THE SON'S PORTRAIT Kripa had become old. His body had become infirm and weak. Sorrow and age had wrought havoc on his face and dulled his vision. He had lost his only son in a battle. The pain had been too much to bear and he had lost the will to live. One afternoon, a visitor knocked at his door and said "Sir, I was also a soldier in your son's army regiment. I was with him when he died. The bullet that was meant for me, actually hit him, because he came in the way. I owe my life to him. I have painted a portrait of your son; please accept it as a gift." Kripa was a connoisseur of art. The walls of his beautiful house were adorned with masterpieces of great value, but this one touched his heart. It was put above the mantelpiece in a place of honour. Many years later, Kripa passed away. His lawyer had a letter that was to be read out after the cremation. The lawyer said, "Before I read out the Will regarding the inheritance of the property, I have special instructions regarding his most valuable property, I.e. His collection of master pieces. I must auction out the vast collection of paintings and utilize the sum as directed in the letter. I have been directed to put up for auction, this portrait of his son first of all." So saying, the old lawyer put up the portrait of the deceased son that had been presented by the soldier. There were no takers. Again and again the lawyer called out for someone to name a price, but no one wanted the crudely painted picture. The old family gardener came forward; rummaged through his worn out pockets and said, "I can pay Rs.27/- for it." The lawyer counted "One ... Two ... Three ... Gone. The portrait is yours." Then he reached into his pocket and took out an envelope, cut it open and pulled out the Will. It said, "The entire collection of paintings shall be inherited by the buyer of my son's portrait. The rest of the property may be auctioned and the proceeds used for setting up an orphanage for the orphans of war." That was the end of the auction. So it is with the Lord. If only we show love towards those whom He loves; He showers upon us His choicest treasures and blesses us with His grace.

Lesson in Heart...

Lesson in Heart A lesson in “heart” is my little 10 year old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home on beautiful spring day to tell me she had competed in “field day” – that’s where they have lots of races and other competitive events. Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down – but before I could get a word out, she said, Daddy, I won two of the races!” I couldn’t believe it! And then, Sarah said, I had an advantage. Ah. I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start some kind of physical advantage. But again, before I could say anything, she said, “Daddy, I didn’t get a head start my advantage was I had to try harder!

Aim Higher...

Keep Smiling Always aim higher than you believe you can reach. So often, you'll discover that when your talents are set free by your imagination, you can achieve any goal. If people offer their help or wisdom as you go through life, accept it gratefully. You can learn much from those who have gone before you. But never be afraid or hesitant to step off the accepted path and head off in your own direction if your heart tells you that it's the right way for you. Always believe that you will ultimately succeed at whatever you do, and never forget the value of persistence, discipline, and determination. You are meant to be whatever you dream of becoming. Always focus on growth, at any age. It is why we are here.

THE LAST JOURNEY

THE LAST JOURNEY A rich old man was very ill and was on his 'death-bed'. His four sons stood around him. The eldest son said, "Father has only a few breaths left now. Soon he will die. Let us arrange for a beautiful open-jeep carriage to take the body to the funeral ground. One of you go and talk to the flower girl to deliver fifty garlands of fresh balsam flowers so that we can decorate the arthi nicely. Also order a set of new clothes for him. Our father has lived like a king. So, he must go too, like a King." The second son said, "Why to order the flowers? They shall rot in this heat anyways. The carriage shall cost us dear. Why don't we just ask for the ambulance from the 'Jeevan Hospital', down the road? It shall not cost as much as the jeep carriage. And, do we really need the new clothes? He is going to be dead anyways. He won't even know." The third son was even thriftier. He said, "Of what use is the ambulance from Jeevan Hospital? We can request for an ambulance from the Government Hospital or from the Red Cross Society. Surely that should be more economical. After all what does it matter to a dead man, whether his last journey is in a fancy carriage or in an ordinary ambulance?" The youngest son was craftier still. He said, "Why bother with the ambulance and the flowers? The funeral ground is just behind our house anyway. We are four of us; we can put him on a cot and carry him on our shoulders. It's only a short distance from our house to the crematorium. " The old man happened to be listening to this conversation between his sons. The very sons for whose sake he had toiled all his life! For them he had scrimped and scraped for years to give them a good life. He wanted to leave behind enough wealth to make them comfortable for a long, long time. What was this they were saying? His sons! His dearly beloved sons! His own flesh and blood! With a surge of energy he sprang up from the bed and said, "If one of you will kindly bring my shoes, I'll just go by myself. I don't need a carriage, an ambulance or a cot. I think my shoes are enough for me to walk out of here. I don't need help from anyone of you."

The Butterfly and the Flower...

The Butterfly and the Flower. Once there was a man who asked God for a flower.... ....and a butterfly. But instead God gave him a cactus.... ....and a caterpillar. The man was sad, he didn’t understand why his request was mistaken Then he thought: Oh well, God has too many people to care for... and decided not to question. After some time, the man went to check up on his request that he had left forgotten. To his surprise, from the thorny & ugly cactus a beautiful flower had grown and the unsightly caterpillar had been transformed into the most beautiful butterfly. GOD always does things right! His way is ALWAYS the best way, even if to us it seems all wrong. If you asked God for one thing & received another, TRUST. You can be sure that He will always give you what you need at the appropriate time. What you want.......is not always what you need! God never fails to grant our petitions, so keep on going for Him without doubting or murmuring. Today’s THORN... Is tomorrow’s FLOWER! GOD GIVES THE VERY BEST TO THOSE WHO LEAVE THE CHOICES UP TO HIM! GOD BLESS YOU! FROM: Neelu Shiva