I found this on another site and thought that it was appropriate especially when tempers and stress can sometimes get the better of us during the holidays...

I guess the message here is that you never know what the circumstances of anothers life are and what they are dealing with....

I really like this one...


Heavenly Father......

Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) Is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not just to those who are close to us, but also to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive; show patience, empathy and love.

THANKS TEB I REALLY NEEDED THIS TODAY.STRESS IS SO AWFUL ISNT IT?

Teb...
This both made me cry and brought a little peace and gratitude to my heart on a hard day....
Thank you for sharing it.......

Thank you for sharing this. It reminded me to be patient with others and have a little gratitude for what I have.

this is a printer-outer, definitely! thank you teb.

Thanks Teb~I needed that :)

I, TOO WANNA SAY THANK YOU , TEB FOR THIS. STRESS , IT SEEMS LIKE A BIG PART OF MY LIFE...........SHERRON

Your post reminded me of a story I thought I would share with you.

I have sle and stage 2 heart failure. It seems I am in and out of the doctors office more than my own front door. Anyways, when I have first moved back to Texas before I had a chance to meet my new doctors for the first time, I had some medical problems that sent me to the emergency room. My insurance would not pay for a kidney biopsy in the emergency room and so the er doc called a private practice doc and had me go straight to his office. I was very worried the entire drive. The majority of people who die of lupus, die of kidney involvement. When I got to the docs office there was a sign on the front window stating they were running 2 hrs behind. The waiting room was packed. I went to the window and told them who I was and that I had been sent from the er. They gave me the forms and told me to go to the side door and they would let me fill the forms in while i waited in one of the exam rooms. A lady with 3 kids with her overheard this and started to throw a fit right there in the waiting room. Her child needed their stitches out and she needed to get home to cook dinner. She embarassed the beegeebes out of me in front of everyone. When the nurse told her I was very sick, she replied, "well she doesnt look sick." I was too mortified to say a word. As I sat crying in the exam room, I thought to myself, how nice it would be if my only concern was a child with stitches and needing to cook dinner. The next sunday when I went to church for the first time, I went up during benediction to join and guess who took my info and introduced me to the church. None other than the same woman! She was the preachers wife. Needless to say, I didn't join that church.

Wow, that is a story that really speaks to the point that what is under the surface is sometimes hidden from the general view and another reason that we should be more patient and accepting...

This also makes me think of a story...

A good friend of mine - unfortunately not with us anymore - had an extremely severe heart problem. I believe that it was called - Idiopathic hypertrophic subarotic stenosis. Anyway, she on the outside looked 'normal' and for the most part in general and during normal daily activities around the house seemed 'normal'. When you saw the heart problem surface sometimes it still was not evident to you and I, but to those that knew her and her limitations you got to know the symptoms. For instance, walking up the stairs to the second floor of the house she would pause once and sometimes twice to get her breath. Walking outside any distance would also cause her to have to stop often. We always walked at about half MY regular speed.

Anyway, the situation was this. Because of this she had a permit to park in the handicap spots that are of course right beside the shopping mall doors. I had been with her (Pat) many, many times when people would watch us pull into the spot and get out of the car and walk 'normally' into the mall. And what always blew my mind was the number of people that would make a comment either directly to us or mumble it as we walked past - 'look at them parking in a handicap spot - they don't need it" What these unthinking and unfeeling people did not see is that right after entering the mall we would immediately look for a bench and sit for a few minutes. Often shopping trips like this could result in half of the time sitting on a bench.

Sometimes we react without thinking and as flygirls story tells, sometimes it is shocking the person that can be behind the comments...

Thank you for sharing these stories with us. They really help open ones eyes to the world around them.

BEAUTIFUL STORIES. THANK YOU TEB.... THANK YOU FLY GIRL. IF WE CAN ONLY LOOK AT OTHERS AND SEE THEIR HURT AND PAIN, WE WILL BECOME DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO BECOME STRONGER OURSELVES. SO, REALLY, THIS SEASON, REACH OUT TO ANOTHER...

MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL

DONNA

I really enjoyed both of your stories. May God Bless You!

Well it says in the bible that God will judge us and forgive us in the same manner as we judge and forgive others. So if we remember just that piece of fact alone, the world would be a better place. You would think that it should be easy to be nice to others, but for some people (and this is sad), it is easier for them to be mean than it is to take the time and be nice. I am not saying I am innocent of wrong doings in this life I am traveling through, but demonstrating love and patience is something I have always done---even to those who are not very kind to me. But I am trying not to start preachin here, but Teb, I like that post very much and I hope all that reads it take a special interest in actively applying it to their lives on a continuous basis. Thank you for that post!!