This story might strengthen our faith! May God! They tell the story of a
mountain climber, desperate to conquer the Aconcagua, initiated his
climb after years of preparation.

But he wanted the glory to himself;
therefore, he went up alone. He started climbing and it was becoming
later and later. He did not prepare for camping but decided to keep on
going. Soon it got dark . . . Night fell with heaviness at such high
altitude and there was zero visibility.

Everything was black, no moon,
and the stars covered by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about
100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could
only see blotches of darkness that passed in the same darkness and
a terrible sensation of being suctioned by gravity.

He kept falling and
in those anguishing moments’ good and bad memories passed
through his mind. He thought he would die. Nevertheless, he felt a jolt
that almost tore him in half. Like any good mountain climber he had
staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.

In those moments of
stillness, suspended in the air he had no other choice but to shout,
“HELP ME GOD”, “HELP ME!” All of a sudden he heard a deep voice
from heaven. “What do you want me to do?” “SAVE ME” “Do you
REALLY think that I can save you?” “OF COURSE, MY GOD” “Then
cut the rope that is holding you up.” There was another moment of
silence and stillness. The man held tighter to the rope. The rescue
team says that the next day they found, a frozen mountain climber
hanging strongly to a rope TWO FEET off the ground . . .

What about you? How trusting are you in that rope? Why don’t you let
it go? I tell you, God has great and marvellous things for you.

CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN HIM.

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In
her grief, she went to the holy man and said, “What prayers, what
magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?”

Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her,
“Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow.
We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life.” The woman went off
at once in search of that magical mustard seed.

She came first to a splendid mansion, knocked at the door, and said,
“I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this a
place? It is very important to me.”

They told her, “You’ve certainly come to the wrong place,” and began
to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.

The woman said to herself, “Who is better able to help these poor,
unfortunate people that I, who have had misfortune of my own?” She
stayed to comfort them, and then went on in search of a home that
had never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hovels and in
other places, she found one tale after another of sadness and
misfortune. She became so involved in ministering to other people’s
grief that ultimately she forgot about her quest for the magical
mustard seed, never realizing that it had, in fact, driven the sorrow out
of her life.

An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little
brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no
money left. They were moving to a smaller house because they could
not afford to stay in the present house after paying the doctor’s bills.
Only a very costly surgery could save him now and there was no one
to loan them the money.

When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother with whispered
desperation, ‘Only a miracle can save him now’, the little girl went to
her bedroom and pulled her piggy bank from its hiding place in the
closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it
carefully.

Clutching the precious piggy bank tightly, she slipped out the back
door and made her way six blocks to the local drugstore. She took a
quarter from her bank and placed it on the glass counter.

“And what do you want?” asked the pharmacist.

“It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered back. “He’s really very sick
and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his
head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much
does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles here, child. I’m sorry,” the pharmacist said,
smiling sadly at the little girl.

“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I can try and
get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”

In the shop was a well-dressed customer. He stooped down and
asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does you brother need?”
“I don’t know,” she replied with her eyes welling up. “He’s really sick
and mommy says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for
it, so I have brought my savings”.

“How much do you have?” asked the man.

“One dollar and eleven cents; but I can try and get some more”, she
answered barely audibly.

“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man, “A dollar and eleven
cents – the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.”

He took her money in one hand and held her hand with the other. He
said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet
your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon,
specialising in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without
charge and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again and doing
well.

“That surgery,” her mom whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder
how much it would have cost.”

The little girl smiled. She knew exactly how much the miracle cost …
one dollar and eleven cents … plus the faith of a little child.

Perseverance can make miracles happen!

Always remember those who serve you.

In the days, when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 years
old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put
a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked.

“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins
in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was
growing impatient.

“Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

“I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and
walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and
left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped
down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two
nickels and five pennies.

You see he couldn’t have the sundae, because he wanted enough left
to leave her a tip.

During the course of World War II, many people gained fame in one
way or another. One man was Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot
assigned to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. One time his entire
squadron was assigned to fly a particular mission. After he was
airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had
forgotten to top off his fuel tank. Because of this, he would not have
enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His
flight leader told him to leave formation and return. As he was
returning to the mother ship, he could see a squadron of Japanese
Zeroes heading toward the fleet to attack. And with all the fighter
planes gone, the fleet was almost defenceless. His was the only
opportunity to distract and divert them. Single-handily, he dove into
the formation of Japanese planes and attacked them. The American
fighter planes were rigged with cameras, so that as they flew and
fought, pictures were taken so pilots could learn more about the
terrain, enemy manoeuvres, etc. Butch dove at them and shot until all
his ammunition was gone, then he would dive and try to clip off a
wing or tail or anything that would make the enemy planes unfit to fly.
He did anything he could to keep them from reaching the American
ships. Finally, the Japanese squadron took off in another direction,
and Butch O’ Hare and his fighter, both badly shot up, limped back to
the carrier. He told his story, but not until the film from the camera on
his plane was developed, did they realize the extent he really went to,
to protect his fleet. He was recognized as a hero and given one of the
nation’s highest military honours. And as you may know, O’Hare
Airport was named after him.

Prior to this time in Chicago, there was a man called Easy Eddie. He
was working for a man Al Capone. Al Capone wasn’t famous for
anything heroic, but he was notorious for the murders he’d committed
and the illegal thing’s he’d done. Easy Eddie was Al Capone’s lawyer
and he was very good. In fact, because of his skill, he was able to
keep Al Capone out of jail. To show his appreciation, Al Capone paid
him very well. He not only earned big money, he would get extra
things, like a residence that filled an entire Chicago city block. The
house was fenced, and he had live-in help and all of the
conveniences of the day. Easy Eddie had a son. He loved his son
and gave him all the best things while he was growing up, – clothes,
cars, and a good education. And, because he loved his son he tried
to teach him right from wrong. But one thing he couldn’t give his son
was a good name, and a good example. Easy Eddie decided that this
was much more important than all the riches he had given him. So, he
went to the authorities in order to rectify the wrong he had done. In
order to tell the truth, it meant he must testify against Al Capone, and
he knew that Al Capone would do his best to have him killed. But he
wanted most of all to try to be an example and to do the best he could
to give back to his son, a good name. So he testified. Within the year,
he was shot and killed on a lonely street in Chicago. These sound like
two unrelated stories, but Butch O’Hare was Easy Eddie’s son.

One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and
sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet,
watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps of birds
and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo
trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return
gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died
down.

When I think about the bamboo tree’s ability to bounce back or return
to its original position, the word resilience comes to mind. When used
in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover
from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits
of a person’s emotions.

Have you ever felt like you are about to snap? Have you ever felt like
you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the
experience to live to talk about it.

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that
threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally
exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical
symptoms.

Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and
unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those
bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking
point then bend but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation
get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal. With
hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as
bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal
with if the end result is worth having.

If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show
resilience like the bamboo tree, bend, but don’t break!

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white
beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said,
“I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry”. Please come in
and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?” they asked.

“No”, she replied. “He’s out.”

“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had
happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”

The woman went out and invited the men in”
“We do not go into a House together,” they replied.

“Why is that?” she asked.

One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing
to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is
Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss
with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her
husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!” he said. “Since that is the case,
let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the
house.

She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be
better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”
“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his
wife. “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is
Love? Please come in and be our guest.”

Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also
got up and followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love,
Why are you coming in?”
The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success,
the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love,
wherever He goes, we go with him.

Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while
she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had
been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron, she read
it, and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
For going to the store for you: $.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: $.25
Taking out the garbage: $1.00
For getting a good report card: $5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00
Total owed: $14.75

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see
the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen,
turned over the paper he’d written on, and this is what she wrote:

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me:
No Charge
For all the nights that I’ve sat up with you, doctored and prayed for
you:
No Charge
For all the trying times, and all the tears that you’ve caused through
the years:
No Charge
For all the nights that were filled with dread and for the worries I knew
were ahead:
No Charge
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose:
No Charge
Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is:
No Charge.

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there
were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and
said, “Mom, I sure do love you.” And then he took the pen and in
great big letters he wrote: “PAID IN FULL”.

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a
bench near a playground. “That’s my son over there,” she said,
pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the
slide.

“He’s a fine looking boy,” the man said. “That’s my son on the swing
in the blue sweater.” Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son.
“What do you say we go, Todd?”

Todd pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Dad. Please, just five more
minutes.” The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart’s
content.

Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son,
“Time to go now?” Again Todd pleaded, “Five more minutes Dad,
Just five more minutes.” The man smiled and said, “Okay.”

“My, you certainly are a patient father,” the woman responded. The
man smiled and then said, “My older son Tommy was killed by a
drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never
spent much time with Tommy and now I’d give anything for just five
more minutes with him. I’ve vowed not to make the same mistake
with Todd. “He thinks he has five more minutes to swing. The truth
is . . . I get five more minutes to watch him play.”

One day I decided to quit…I quit my job, my relationship,
my Spirituality… I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God, I said.
Cam you give me one good reason not to quit ?
His answer surprised me…….

Look around, He said.
Do you see the fern and the bamboo ?
Yes, I replied.

When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very
good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The
fern grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit
on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant
and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.

In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But
I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the
bamboo seed. I would not quit. He Said.

Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant…
But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it
strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give
any of my creations a challenge it could not handle. He said to me.

Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling,
you have actually been growing roots.

I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

Don’t compare yourself to others. He said. The bamboo had a
different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest
beautiful.

Your time will come, God said to me. You will rise high.

How high should I rise I asked.

How high will the bamboo rise He asked in return.

As high as it can I questioned.

Yes. He said, Give me glory by rising as high as you can.
I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words
can help you see that God will never give up on you.

He will never give up on you!