Inspirational Stories (part 1)

TOPICS:

Joy, Encouragement, Just for Fun

DURATION:

Approximately 1-2 minutes each 

 
THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM (Author Unknown)

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead they were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made a bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things are not always what they seem."

The next night the angels came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen? The first family had everything, yet you helped them. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die. Why?"

"Things are not always what they seem." the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the family was so greedy and unwilling to share in their good fortune, I sealed the wall so they wouldn't find it. Then last night when we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead."

Things are not always what they seem. If you have faith and a good heart, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.

 
SHIP WRECKED (Author Unknown)

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to Divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. On the other side of the island, the second man has nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, and more food. The next day, like a miracle, all of these were given to him. The second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning a ship docked at his side on the island. He boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming: "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them, the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?" "He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

 
UNSELFISH GIVING (Author Unknown)

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. by now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he could not have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

This little boy knew the meaning of sacrifice more than most. When we give to Jesus, out of what portion do we give? Is it just a percentage of all we have, or do we give unselfishly, even though we may need to sacrifice something else we may desire. 

 
GIVING WHEN IT COUNTS (Author Unknown)

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and said, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away? Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

The Apostle Paul once said "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers..." (Romans 9:3) It may be difficult for us to understand how Paul could be willing to give up so much, even his own salvation so someone else could be saved. He and this little boy knew the true meaning of giving everything for the sake of another.

 
EXPLAINING GOD: (by Danny Dutton, a third grader from Chula Vista California)

Although this letter can be found all over the web, we feel it is worth repeating.

"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth.

He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off.

God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy. So, you shouldn't be wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's heads asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think that there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church. Jesus is God's son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK.

His Dad (God) appreciated everything He had done and all His hard work on earth, so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in Heaven. So He did. And, now, He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of Himself without having to bother God -- like a secretary, only more important.

You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you, because they got it worked out so that one of them is on duty at all times.

You should always go to church on Sunday, because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you are scared in the dark or when you can't swim very good and you got thrown into really deep water by big kids.

But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.

And that is why I believe in God."