I Hope There Is a Special Place In Heaven
Yesterday I wrote a post entitled, “I Hope There Is a Special Place in Hell”. It was about a family who set up numerous charities to supposedly help cancer victims. They collected $180,000,000…and then spent the majority of the money on themselves. The Feds have closed down operations, and the family is certainly going to end up in big trouble-but not before they blew through most of the money.
I hate people who take advantage of other people, or situations. I am a harsh critic of human behavior; especially my own. My actions, my words…many times I fail to live up to the person I strive to be…but I have never purposely set out to harm anyone. I can’t imagine how morally bankrupt a person must be to collect money in the name of cancer victims, and then use the money on vacations, cars, and a lavish lifestyle. When I read about the story, I was extremely angry. It left me shaken in my faith about what sort of society we have become.
Then I read the following story.
I don’t think it was random luck that I came across this story. No, God knew my faith in humanity needed to be restored. I just hope that you are as moved about the exploits of a little boy named Josiah Duncan as I was.
Josiah and his mother were heading into a Waffle House restaurant in Prattville, Alabama, when little Josiah spied a homeless man outside the restaurant. Josiah asked his mother what the man was doing, and she explained to her son that the man was homeless. Josiah wanted to know what being homeless meant…and his mother lovingly explained to him that the man didn’t have a place to live.
Josiah asked his mom if they could buy the man lunch. The little boy invited the man into the Waffle House and led him over to a booth. When no employee approached the man, the boy fetched the man a menu. When the man’s hamburger arrived, little Josiah told the man that they needed to say a blessing over the food. The picture below shows Josiah and the homeless man praying over his food. Josiah’s mom said that there wasn’t a dry eye among the 11 people having lunch.
After reading the story and watching the video (I have attached a link) there were tears in my eyes too.
Yes, another teachable moment brought to me by the creator of the universe. I see life as a test. Each day presents each of us with dozens of opportunities to be a blessing or a curse to those around us. We all carry around scars from things said, or done to us. Others carry around scars that we have inflicted.
What is interesting is our inaction to people and situations is just as harmful…just as hurtful. How many times could we have lifted the spirits of another if we had just said that word of encouragement? Yet, we kept the healing words inside us. How many times could we have lifted that person out from the depths of despair? Yet, we walked on by as if the person was invisible.
Josiah, just a little boy, was able to see a man that to adults had become invisible.
I am going to end today’s post with the same quote from Mother Teresa that I used in yesterday’s post.
“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”
We think we are powerless. We say to ourselves, “What can I do…I am just one person?” But that is simply not true. Within you is the power to change lives. The choice resides within each of us. Are we a blessing, or a curse?
Link to story… http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/living/5-year-old-feeds-homeless-man-waffle-house-feat/index.html
Comments(38)