Once upon a time there were a Dad and Mom who had two children, ages 2 and 5. Those children were a handful. They got up early and stayed up late. They loved to jump on their beds and on the couch. They fussed a lot when they didn't get their way. And they couldn't remember to obey what they were told from one moment to the next. At night you could find that Dad and Mom exhausted, and in a daze, sitting on the couch. "Our kids are wearing us out!" they would say.
One day the family went to Pizza Hut for lunch. As the mother went back and forth to the food bar, fixing first one plate and then another, the father watched the kids and tried to keep them in their seats. When Mom went to get their drinks, she noticed that her kids had captured the attention of a man sitting at a corner table. He especially kept watching the little girl. As the mother passed the table, the man politely asked, "How old is your daughter?" "She's two, "replied the frazzled mother. "And she sure is a handful! She really keeps me running! There's never a dull or quiet moment with her around." The man only smiled.
Finally, after the children were situated, the mother went back to get her own plate (Dad always insisted on being last). She bumped into the same man again, the one from the corner table. "When is your daughter's birthday?" he asked. With a questioning look, the mother replied, "March 26th.'' (For men don't usually pay attention to such details about a stranger's children). "I had a little girl," the man went on. "She was born April 26th, and would be about the age of your little girl. We lost her to cancer in September. I always notice little girls this age, and wonder what it would be like..."
By now, the mother's eyes had filled with tears. She remembered how much she had complained about the stresses of having a two-year-old. Now the trials didn't seem so bad, compared to the blessings. When she got back to the table, she told her husband what had happened. They both looked down at their plates. Food seemed so unimportant, as they realized the seriousness of their mistake. Kissing their two lively kids, they made a silent promise to themselves and to God. "We will not let the frustration outweigh the joys; we will count our children as blessings every day."
This couple remembered what God had said. He said, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward." (Psalm 127:3) He also said, "Do all things without complaining and disputing." (Philippians 2:14) This is a true story (by Mike and Cherie Vestal). Sometimes it takes some traumatic event for us to realize our blessings. Other times stories like this one can touch our heart and remind us of the wonderful blessings we have from God. I pray that we will all see God’s blessings through new eyes. We need to look at the suffering around us and then praise God for what we have. I hope that you will have a great week, filled with lots of blessings. If you need God to help you though a trial you are facing, He wants to help you. If it is spiritual blindness you are suffering from or spiritual sickness, it is serious and the Great Physician is waiting to heal you.
Let's show the world the love of God! Have a GREAT week!
You are loved.
Dr. Ray Reynolds