Motivation Feature Section @ SumnerWemp.com

Archives:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10

A Glass of Milk
Whatever you sow, that will you reap.

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?

You don't owe me anything, she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Many year's later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled! They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.

He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words.....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands."

A Beautiful Prayer

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own! ,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

Unconditional Love

A Store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies for Sale." The signs have a way of attracting children. Soon a little boy appeared at the sign and asked, "How much are you gonna sell those puppies for?" The store owner replied, "Anywhere from $30-$50." The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. "I have $2.37, can I look at them?" The Store owner smiled and whistled. Out of the kennel came his dog named Lady, running down the aisle of his store followed by five little puppies. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy. He asked, "What's wrong with that little dog?" The man explained that when the puppy was born the vet said that this puppy had a bad hip socket and would limp for the rest of his life.

The little boy got really excited and said "That's the puppy I want to buy!" The man replied "No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll give him to you." The little boy got upset and looked straight into the man's eyes and said "I don't want you to give him to me. He is worth every bit as much as the other dogs and I'll pay the full price. In fact, I will give you $2.37 now and 50 cents every month until I have him paid for."

The man countered, "You really don't want to buy this puppy son. He is never gonna be able to run, jump and play like the other puppies." The little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the man and said, "Well, I don't run so well myself and the puppy will need someone who understands."

The man was now biting his bottom lip. Tears welled up in his eyes, he smiled and said, "Son, I hope and pray that each and every one of these puppies will have an owner such as you."

In life, it doesn't matter WHO you are, but whether someone appreciates you for WHAT you are and accepts you and loves you unconditionally.

Gold Wrapping Paper

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her 5 year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and said, "This is for you, Momma." The mother was embarrassed by her earlier overreaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. "Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?" She had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full." The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a Golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

We Never Talk Anymore
--author unknown--

Dear Friend,

As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion, or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday, but I noticed you were too busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to school.

I waited again. When you ran around the house getting ready, I thought there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say "hello", but you were too busy.

At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. I thought you wanted to talk to me but then I saw you spring to your feet, and you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip.

I watched as you went to school or work and I waited patiently all day long. With all your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.

I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. How sad. But there is still more time left, and I have hope that you will talk to me even yet.

You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done you turned on the TV. The things that go on there can be so corrupt, or just a waste of time, just about anything goes there and you spend so much time each day in front of it, not thinking about me or anything, just enjoying the show, trying to escape your thoughts. I waited patiently again as you watched TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.

As you did your homework I waited again. You did what you had to do. At bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family, you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. You didn't even thank me for the blessings I gave you today. I wanted to tell you that I am always there for you. But you missed the opportunity.

Because I love you so much, a long time ago I left a wonderful place called Heaven and came to Earth. I gave it up so that I could save you from your sins. I was ridiculed and made fun of and suffered a painful torture, and I even died so you wouldn't have to die for your sins. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer, thought or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation. I created you so I could fellowship with you. But sadly, you don't think it is very important at all.

Well, you are getting up again, and once again I will wait with nothing but love for you, hoping that today you will give me some time today. Have a nice day!

Your friend,
Jesus

People Will Remember How You Make Them Feel

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living.

When I arrived at 2:30 AM, the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away.

But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked.

"Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets and there were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."

I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw that her eyes were glistening.

"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

"What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.

The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up anymore passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware--beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

People may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

The Messiah

When Isaiah wrote about the future confession of Israel as they see their King and sing a song of sorrow and remorse, he describes how Israel says, "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground" (Isa. 53:2). The term "tender shoot" (yoneq) means a "suckling," and in case of a plant it indicates the tiny shoot that comes up around the base of the plant. It indicates that which is unimportant, of little use, and not promising. The parallel expression is "and like a root (shoresh) out of a dry (tsiyyah) ground!" (Isa. 53:2). This graphically pictures a root in parched, dry, unproductive soil and no one would ever think that the plant had a chance to grow and develop! Both descriptions point to the low, insignificant, unassuming birth and background of the Messiah. The repentant nation looks back and mourns the fact that because of this they found no beauty in Him to desire Him or to feel attracted to Him!

As Luke describes presents the Messiah as the perfect Human Being, he writes about His humble and unassuming birth (Luke 2:4-7). He was born in the small, apparently insignificant village of Bethlehem just outside the great majestic city of Jerusalem. Because of the crowed of people who had come back to their birth place to be enrolled for taxation, there was not a place for Joseph and Mary in the "inn." The term indicates "a place to lie down" and was a general word for "lodging." Here in Bethlehem, it could have been a private house, a room, or a general building where travelers could spread out for the night. The houses were usually build around a courtyard, with various rooms located upstairs and down stairs around the courtyard. At any rate it was not a luxurious palace or a nice, comfortable mansion! Unattended by a doctor or midwife the young mother, Mary, gave birth to a son, her firstborn! There was no elaborate baby bed for this Child, so a trough or box used to place the hay or fodder for the animals (phante) was made into a place for the Baby. His mother took bands or strips of cloth and gently wrapped them around the Baby�s back for support ("swaddling clothes!"). The wealth and status of the parents could be noted by the kind of cloth used for the bands and how they were adorned. It is evident that the earthly parents of Jesus were poor! As the offering for the firstborn was brought to the Temple, His parents brought the offering of the poor people -- "a pair of doves or two young pigeons" (Lev. 12:8; Luke 2:24)! It is no wonder that His half-brother. James had much to say about the "rich and poor" in his letter! This was truly a very insignificant, unassuming beginning for the Eternal King and stands in sharp contrast to the wealth of Caesar Augustus and his family!

I Am Thankful

For the wife who says it's hog dogs tonight,
because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.

For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato,
because he is home with me and not out at the bars.

For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes,
because that means she is at home, not on the streets.

For the taxes that I pay,
because it means that I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party,
because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug
because it means I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work,
because it means I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing,
because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government,
because it means that we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot,
because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill,
because it means I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church that sings off key,
because it means that I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing,
because it means I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day,
because it means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours,
because it means that I am alive.

And finally, for too much e-mail,
because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

What Comes Around, Goes Around

He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so .. was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. she had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard..

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."

Whatever You Sow, You Will Reap