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Where is God's Perfection?
In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career, while others can be mainstreamed into conventional schools.
At a Chush fundraising dinner, the father of a Chush child Delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son
Shaya? Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do.
My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"
The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's anguish and stilled by the piercing query. " I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that he seeks is in the way people react to this child."
He then told the following story about his son Shaya:
One afternoon Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, "Do you think they will let me play?"
Shaya's father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shaya's father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.
Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates.
Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said "We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning." Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly.
Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya was scheduled to be up.
Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat.
Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shaya didn't even know-how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's teammates came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya. As the pitch came in, Shaya and his teammate at the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game.
Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman.
Everyone started yelling, "Shaya, run to first. Run to first."
Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide-eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball.
He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second."
Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the opposing short stop
ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third."
As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, "Shaya run home." Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for his team.
"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of God's perfection."
Author
Unknown
~~~Top - Directory~~~
Life
I asked God to take away my pain.
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.
Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is earned.
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 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.
Author Unknown
Submitted by BCKenworth
~~~Top - Directory~~~
The Weight of Prayer
Louise Redden, a poorly
dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She
approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her
charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to
work, they had seven children and they needed food.
John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she
leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you
the money just as soon as I can." John told her he could not give her credit, as she
did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who
overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the
grocer man that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.
The grocer man said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have
a grocery list? Louise replied "Yes sir!" "O.K." he said: "Put
your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you
that amount in groceries."
Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached
into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid
the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.
The eyes of the grocer man and the customer showed amazement when
the scales went down and stayed down. The grocer man staring at the scales, turned slowly
to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."
The customer smiled and the grocer man started putting the
groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to
put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.
The grocer man stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed
the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a
grocery list, it was a prayer, which said: "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am
leaving this in your hands."
The grocer man gave her the groceries that he had gathered and
placed on the scales and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store.
The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to John as he said, "It was worth every penny
of it."
It was sometime later that John Longhouse discovered the scales
were broken, therefore only God knows how much a prayer weighs.
Author Unknown
Submitted by ARareJewelNLA
~~~Top - Directory~~~
A Wonderful Story
Dogs & Heaven
Author Unknown
A man and his dog were walking along
a road. The man was just enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that
he was dead. He remembered dying and the dog had been dead for years.
He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while
they came to a high white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine
marble.
At the top of a long hill it was broken by a tall arch
that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in
the arch that looked like mother of pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like
pure gold.
He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got
closer he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough he called out,
"Excuse me, where are we?" "This is heaven, sir," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir.
Come right in and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured,
and the gate began to open.
"Can my dog come in too?" the traveler asked. "I'm
sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets. The man thought a moment and then turned back toward
the road and continued the way he had been going. After another long walk, and at the top
of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as
if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate he saw a man
inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me" he called to the reader, "Do
you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there." The man
pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."
"How about my friend
here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the
pump." They went through the gate and, sure enough, there was an old fashioned
hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink
himself. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man, who was standing
by then, waiting for them.
"What do you call this place?" he asked.
"This is heaven," was the answer.
"Well, that's confusing," he said, "the man
down the road said that was heaven too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and
pearly gates? That's hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name
like that?"
"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just
happy that they screen out the jerks who'll leave their dogs behind.
Submitted by ARareJewelNLA
~~~Top - Directory~~~
An Everyday Survival Kit:
Toothpick, Rubber band, Band aid, Pencil, Eraser, Chewing gum, Mint, Candy Kiss, Tea Bag.
Here's why:
-
Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others...Matt 7:1
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Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out...Romans 8:28
-
Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's...Col. 3:12-14
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Pencil - to remind you to list your blessings everyday...Eph1:3
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Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay...Gen. 50:15-21
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Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything ...Phil 4:13
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Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint to your heavenly father...John 3:16-17
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Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday...1 John 4:7
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Tea Bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings...1 Thess 5:18
~~~Top - Directory~~~
Sand Art From A Beach in Maryland
Artist is Randy Hofman, Ocean City Maryland
(thumbnail view)
For more sand art - see Inspiration - Religious
- Pages 1 & 3
See E-mail from a visitor with an article
about the artist who created this - Randy Hofman
"I received an email with the very same pictures that you have in your email.
Seeking to learn more about the artist, I figured that the beach was probably in Ocean City, Maryland. So, I emailed Stewart Dobson, the editor
of Ocean City Today, the newspaper for Ocean City for more information about the "sand sculpture artist." He sent me a copy of an article that ran in his
newspaper in August of 2002 which will shed more light on this talented artist
-- Randy Hofman. It is as follows:
Published in Ocean City Today, Aug. 26, 2002
Re: Randy Hofman, Sand Sculpture Artist from Ocean City, Maryland
By John McCafferty, Contributing Writer
If you've strolled Ocean City's Boardwalk during the last 20 years, chances
are you've seen the sand sculptures that Randy Hofman creates in front of the Plim Plaza Hotel on the beach at Second Street.
The sculptures are 8 to 20 feet across and have a biblical theme, Christ on the cross, The Last Supper, Jesus praying, David and Goliath are favorites.
An ordained minister since 1985, Hofman views the sand sculptures as his
ministry. "The messages show people that God is reaching out to us," Hofman said.
"They have to be short and simple so people can easily read and understand them ... like a billboard."
Hofman gives away a small, 32-page Bible booklet to anyone who wants one and
averages 50,000 takers each summer. Since he started doing this in the mid-1980s, he has distributed about 800,000 booklets.
Most observers treat Hofman's sculptures with respect, if not awe. Some stop
at the site to pray. If invited, Hofman may join them. Passers-by often take snapshots of the sculptures and placards in front of
them. The displays are lit at night but not for photography.
For those who'd like a decent picture of his work, Hofman recently created a
Web site, www.randyhofman.com, which contains dozens of color photos of his sculptures. [emphasis added]
Many people drop a nickel, quarter or dollar in a glass container in front of the display on the beach. Hofman depends on these donations, plus
earnings from oil painting, for his living and mission expenses. Some people leave notes. One woman wrote that her son had been killed in a
car accident but had one of Hofman's Bible booklets with him when he died.
"That brought her peace," Hofman said.
In 1989, a Baltimore man who vacationed in Argentina, offered to pay
Hofman's expenses if he'd go there and replicate his sand sculptures. "I accepted and spent several weeks creating sand sculptures on the beach at
Mar del Plata," he said. "I enjoyed it so much that I went back later at my own expense."
Not everyone respects religious sand sculptures. Three years ago, a young
couple came by and the girl urged her boyfriend to jump on one of Hofman's creations. He did and the couple ran away.
"The police arrested them for disturbing the peace," Hofman said. "It's good they did. A crowd saw what happened and went crazy."
Hofman has been playing or working on Ocean City's beach since he was a
small child. "I grew up outside of Washington, D.C. and our family always came to Ocean City for vacations. I was one of nine children and we all
played in the sand here like other kids." He also played in a sand box at home with his brothers. "I liked to make
roads, tunnels and sand castles but never thought I'd be making sand sculptures," he said.
Hofman studied advertising design and visual communications for two years at
Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. before coming to Ocean City on his own in 1974. He created color chalk murals on concrete next to the Boardwalk and
learned sand sculpture from another Ocean City resident.
Much has changed since the early years. "When I started, Ocean City emptied
out on Labor Day. Now I work on the beach from Easter until October."
One sculpture a day was Hofman's limit at first because he lacked water and
had to dig down past the dry, hot surface sand for moist sand. He worked at night after the sun went down so his sculptures would retain moisture.
Usually, by noon the next day, the sculpture had dried out and disintegrated and he had to start over. This part of the job is easier now because John
and Hale Harrison, owners of the Plim Plaza, supply him with water and electricity.
Hofman's only sculpting tool, in addition to his hands, is a white plastic
knife used for picking crabs, courtesy of a nearby restaurant, the Mug & Mallet. The knife is handy for drawing fine lines and sharpening images.
Youngsters attending SonSpot, an outreach mission on Worcester Street, do
much of Hofman's sand digging now. "The kids are great," he said. "They come here from six or seven mid-Atlantic states and this is part of their
mission."
SonSpot's founder, Gary Steiger, pastor Dick Sands and his wife, Marsha,
keep an eye on Hofman's site when he's busy elsewhere.
Hofman presents four sculptures at a time now and they're good for a week or
more because he sprays a light, white glue on them. He learned the technique from some Californians who built a huge, promotional sand castle here in the
'90s. "I was concerned about the environment but was told the process is okay," he said.
He feels sand sculpturing is easy because there are few rules. "Just use
clean, moist sand and don't let dry sand mix through it. It's like baking a cake. Use good ingredients."
Age challenges the physical aspect, admits Hofman, now 50. "It strains the
back and gives me giant leg cramps, so I take more breaks now. Lord willing, I'd like to continue for years to come."
Aches and pains are no problem with his other passion, oil painting. Hofman
lives with his wife, Marilynne, in Ocean Pines, and paints in his studio in Newark, Md. He recently completed four undersea life murals, each four feet
wide, for the Coral Reef Cafe at the Holiday Inn at 17th street and the Boardwalk. Seventeen of his oil paintings also are on display in the lobby
of the Plim Plaza."
~~~~~
There's More Inspirational Items with a
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Inspiration - Religious - Page 4
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This page was last edited
11/03/05.
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