PUSH

There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room
filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man He had a
work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The
Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.
This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun
down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the
unmoving rock pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his
cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to
enter the picture placing thoughts into the man's mind such as; "You have been
pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't budged. Why kill
yourself over this? You are never going to move it? etc."

Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he
was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. "Why kill
myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the
minimum of effort and that will be good enough." And that he planned to do
until one day he decided to make it a matter of Prayer and take his troubled
thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord" he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my
strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have
not even budged that rock a half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I
failing?"

To this the Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when long ago I asked
you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push
against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did
I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard.

Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock.

BUT YOUR CALLING WAS TO BE OBEDIENT, TO PUSH AND TO
EXERCISE YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN MY WISDOM,
this you have done. I, my friend, I will now move the rock."

Author Unknown

Yes, obedience is the key. Jesus was obedient even unto death (see Philippians 2:8).


IN THE VALLEY WE GROW

Weeping May Endure For A Night...
But Joy Comes In The Morning

If I could bare your burden today
I'd do it with a smile
Just to hear you laugh again
And let you rest awhile
But since this cross is yours to bare
I'll carry the load with you
Resting assured the God of All Grace
Will see you safely through
So hold onto the promises
Though only darkness you may see
We'll make it through this valley together
You, Our God and Me

Written by Helen Swift

Thank you Pam! I needed very much today to read your message. I will print it out and send it to my son. Again, thank you :)

That is an awesome poem - believeing. Thank you for posting it.

Thanks lillybee -- it is a story i cherish very much -- i think of it alot -- glad to know it blessed you.

No matter what
You can do whatever you decide to do. You can accomplish whatever you commit to accomplishing. It pays to keep reminding yourself of that, day after day. Because circumstances will often leave you discouraged. Because things often fail to go your way.
And yet, with each disappointment you gain new strength. It may not seem so great at the time. Life can certainly be painful. Even when it is, though, your possibilities are still with you. With each setback your determination grows stronger. And you learn. Today you will learn some new lesson about what works for you and what doesn't. Tomorrow you'll have the opportunity to apply that newfound knowledge.
Stop for a moment and consider what an incredible opportunity that really is. No matter what life may throw at you, you can use it to move toward whatever you've decided to accomplish.
So by all means decide on something clear and specific, something that's meaningful to you, something that's wonderful and joyful, exciting and fulfilling. You can get there, no matter what.
-- Ralph Marston

The Most Caring Child

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a
contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest
was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-
year-old child, whose next-door neighbor was an elderly
gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the
man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard,
climbed onto his lap and just sat there. When his mother
asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

By Ellen Kreidman
Submitted by Donna Bernard
from A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen


Just being there means everything....
Peace to all
Pamsi65

nice poems i printed them out thank you

These are all nice, Thank You!

Let Go, Let God —
Fear Less, Love More
(Author Unknown)
To let go doesn't mean to stop caring; it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off; it’s the realization that I can’t control another.
To let go is not enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another; it’s to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for, but to care about.
To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle, arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies.
To let go is not to be protective; it is to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny, but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes, and to cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and to love more.


"Jesus is the light at the end of the tunnel"

Thanks peaceseeker. Lots of wisdom in that writing. It's one a person needs to meditate on, not just quickly read through.

Bless you for sharing.

This is a bit long but it is so beautiful and has been helpful to me so I decided to post it anyway.

The Practice of Forgivness by Jack Kornfield

There are so many ways I have hurt and harmed others
Knowingly and unknowlingly in this life.
Many ways that I have caused sorrow, betrayed or abandoned others.
I remember these now. I feel these.
In the many ways I have hurt and harmed others out of my fear,
Out of my pain or confusion, I ask their forgiveness.
May I be forgiven.

There are so many ways I harm myself, knowingly and unknowingly,
Abandon or betray myself, cause myself pain.
I remember these now.
I picture and feel the sorrows I have caused to myself.
And in the many ways I have hurt or harmed myself out of my confusion.
Out of fear,pain, I offer myself forgiveness and mercy.
I forgive myself.
I hold myself with kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.
May I be forgiven.

In the many ways others have hurt me, abandoned or betrayed me,
Knowingly or unknowingly, out of their confusion, out of their anger,
And pain, out of their fear and ignorance.
I see these now and feel what I have carried
And to the extent that I am ready, I offer forgiveness
I release you. I release my hatred or anger if I am ready.
I will not put you out of my heart.

Thanks, Glow. That is beautiful. It's forgiveness that sets us free; yet, sometimes in a person's heart it's the hardest thing to both do and accept. Such a breakthrough comes when we can truly forgive others, including ourselves.

Thankyou for sharing these wonderful poems
respect
shaz