I wanted to share this with as many people as I could and figured this would be better than sending a million emails. I am hoping more people get to read it this way.
My aunt Annette sent this to me. She lost her best friend and husband last year. My uncle Vern. If you even met this man for 5 minutes, you would have fallen in love with him and wanted to sit with him just to hear him talk. He always talked with such compassion for everyone he was speaking to. It was like meeting someone for the first time but feeling like you knew him for a lifetime. All within the first five minutes. Aunt Annette is what her friend wrote. A very sweet women with a huge heart of gold! I am not sure I could be as strong as she is. But, she knows she is not alone. God is always with her.
She writes:
my friend sent me this morning with a note on it that said "reminded me of Vern" and she is absolutely right! In fact, he used this story in one of his sermons....this is exactly what he would do....
It is a sweet reminder of my friend that I miss so much.............. I just wanted to share it with you......
also, had a rummage sale last weekend....and a man came and looked at books....looked for a long time and then started selecting them....I talked with him about them and he told me that ever since his son was 6 he wanted to be a minister....and has always read everything he can get his hands on....so now he is off to the seminary and his father was buying the books for him...
soft covers were 25 cents
hard covers were 50 cents
the man bought 27.00 worth of Vern's books and of course I threw in tapes and flyers and anything else I could find...we shared stories and I told him about Vern...he told me his son would be so excited to have these books....I sent along a picture of Vern with him so his son could see whose books he was reading....It was such a thrill to know that someone will love his books and his love for study as much as Vern did.... and perhaps change lives like Vern did by his love for God and compassion for people.
God takes us, no....... wants us, as we are. We should be able to do this too.
Now this is the Living Bible:
His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with
holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his
wardrobe for his entire four years of college.
He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He
became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very
conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the
students but are not sure how to go about it.
One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no
shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has
already started and so Bill starts down the aisle
looking for a seat.
The church is completely packed and he can't find a
seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable,
but no one says anything.
Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and
when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down
right on the carpet.
By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in
the air is thick.
About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the
back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward
Bill..
Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair,
and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very
dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he
starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to
themselves that you can't blame him for what he's
going to do.
How can you expect a man of his age and of his background
to understand some college kid on the floor?
It takes a long time
for the man to reach the boy.
The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the
man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't
even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even
preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.
And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the
floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits
down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be
alone.
Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains
control, he says, "What I'm about to
preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen,
you will never forget."
"Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible
some people will ever read!"
I asked the Lord to bless you
As I prayed for you today.
To guide you and protect you
As you go along your way....
His love is always with you,
His promises are true,
And when we give Him all our cares,
You know He will see us through.
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