It Is What You Scatter

Here is a story that will touch your heart:

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

“Hello Barry, how are you today?”

“H’lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas. They sure look good.”

“They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?”

“Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.”

“Good. Anything I can help you with?”

“No, Sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.”

“Would you like to take some home?” asked Mr. Miller.

“No, sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ‘em with.”

“Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?”

“All I got’s my prize marble here.”

“Is that right? Let me see it, ” said Miller.

“Here ‘tis. She’s a dandy.”

“I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?” the store owner asked.

“Not zackley, but almost.”

“Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble,” Mr. Miller told the boy.

“Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.”

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

With a smile she said, “There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.”

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts … all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

“Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size…they came to pay their debt.”

“We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,” she confided, “but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.”

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral:

We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath. Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles:

A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t make yourself … An unexpected phone call from an old friend … Green stoplights on your way to work … The fastest line at the grocery store … A good sing-along song on the radio … Your keys found right where you left them.

I hope that you will share this story with your dear friends because each of us needs an uplift today. It is the ordinary miracles that makes life a blessing.

It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!

Some Bible Stories — Modern Version!

LOT’S WIFE — The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, “My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,” he announced triumphantly, “And she turned into a telephone pole!”

THE GOOD SAMARITAN — A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?”

A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, “I think I’d throw up.”

DID NOAH FISH? — A Sunday school teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?”

“No,” replied Johnny. “How could he, with just two worms.”

HIGHER POWER — A Sunday school teacher said to her children, “We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?”

One child blurted out, “Aces!”

BEING THANKFUL — A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, “So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That’s very commendable. What does she say?”

The little boy replied, “Thank God he’s in bed!”

Ever Wonder?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Birthdays

Having birthdays this week are Barbara Lande and Tyler Raines on Thursday, Aug. 23; David Goins on Saturday, Aug. 25; David Henderson and Walker Smith on Sunday, Aug. 26; Josh Sullivan on Monday, Aug. 27; Leigh Treadway on Tuesday, Aug. 28; Billy Liner and Brenda Henderson on Wednesday, Aug. 29.

These are very special people that God loves dearly. So let’s let them know that we love them also. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Anniversary

I know of two couples celebrating their wedding anniversary this week. I know there are more, but no one has let me know. Vic and Julie Elliott are celebrating their “special day” on Thursday, Aug. 23. Aubrey and Anzie Parks (I know that guy) are celebrating their wedding anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 25.

These are marriages made in heaven and blessed by God. Let’s all wish them HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Prayer Concern

Let’s keep in our prayers Judy Belk, wife of Jimmy Belk (a golfing friend of mine), who is having surgery this week. Let’s pray that God will guide the surgeon’s hands and let’s pray for a full recovery.

My Thoughts

Can you believe that the year 2012 is in its last half? It is true that the older a person lives, the faster time moves on. Here it is August and the Halloween displays and candy are already on sale! And the remainder of 2012 is going to be both exciting and suspenseful. I have several questions that will be answered in the following months:

“Is Israel going to attack Iran?”

“Will our economic situation and job situation begin to improve?”

“Who will be the victors on election day?” Do you realize that in 75 days we will have elections! “Who is going to be our President?” “Who will be the leaders of Union County?”

And the question that everyone has asked for centuries, “Will Jesus return to take His Believers and Followers in 2012?”

Did you know that the Mayan Indians have predicted that the world will end on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012? “I wonder if we are going to have “End of the World” sales in the stores?

Well folks, stay tuned and keep reading because these questions and many more will be answered in the next 130 days.

Thought Of The Week

“We cannot control the ACTIONS that come in our life, but we can control our REACTIONS to them.”

If You Have Good News

When you see, hear, or make news, hear good, funny, and clean jokes, please email your news and jokes to me at cap9296@aol.com, call me at 864-441-2371, mail your news to me at POB 128, Buffalo, or stop me on the street. When you celebrate good things in your life, I would like to share that with the good people of Buffalo. You want to laugh. I want to laugh. So please make me laugh.

Until next week, may God bless you richly.