Grocery List

A sister at work posted this.

Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store.

She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.

Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.'

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?'

Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'O.K' he said, 'Fine....put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.'

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down..

The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.'

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:

'Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.'

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence.

Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; 'It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs.'

So dear heart, trust God to heal the sick, provide food for the hungry, clothes and shelter for those that don't have as we do.

I will also add to it this -- be the answer to someone's prayers.

What's More Important?

I run into something now and then that completely pisses me off. Yes, pisses me off. It's putting things like nationalism, freedom, government, and its laws on this pedestal, making them false gods and using them to excuse actions, or lack of actions, and a bad attitude.

We do that kind of thing a lot when we start sentences with "you can't" and throw in a "because". You can't sleep here. You can't come in here dressed like that. You can't come in here at all. You can't live here. You can't, you can't, you can't. Why? Because. Undoubtedly "because it's against ", be it anything from company policy to federal law.

You know what though? I don't believe that's the real reason at all we use that standard line. If people had that much respect for rules and laws to chalk them up as real reasons for "you can't", we'd drive a whole lot slower on the freeways, stop talking on our phones while we're doing it, and never jaywalk. None of that's ever going to happen. Instead, I believe far too often we hide behind rules and laws as an excuse -- something to cover up the fact we're uncomfortable with the situation and just really don't want to be loving our neighbor at the moment. If we justify it with a "you can't" and a "because", the problem goes away so we don't have to think about it or deal with it without feeling bad.

We in first world countries do this kind of crap all the time to the many types of outcasts in our society, often without realizing it. Maybe we don't like coming outside of our box to see the real world around us. Maybe doing that makes us realize that there are people in need and we should be doing more and giving more, but we won't want to hear that. Maybe doing that makes us think we'll have to give up a bit of what we think "is ours" and we don't want to do that. Instead, we hide behind a system.

It's hogwash. Did not David eat the bread of the presence from the temple? Did not Jesus heal on the sabbath? Did not the disciples glean on the sabbath? Why? Lawbreakers going against the system! Why? Because human need is more important. It is more important to God and it should be more important to us.

So before anyone hides behind some policy, protocol, or government, including myself, I suggest they take a look at the people involved and the motivation behind their actions. Generalizing, detaching, and passing the buck and the blame to faceless systems is sinful, plain and simple.

Grace and Peace

Crabby Old Man

A co-worker posted this:

What do you see nurses? . . . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . . with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . . and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man . . . . Look closer . . . . see ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.

Grace and Peace