NICE INTRO-ODD STORIES

When Andrew Cheatle lost his cell phone at the beach, he thought it was gone forever. About a week later, however, fisherman Glen Kerley called him. He had pulled Cheatle’s phone, still functional after it dried, out of a 25-pound cod.

credit : OBD

1. Psychiatrist Paul D. Meier writes, I have had millionaire businessmen come to my office and tell me they have big houses, yachts, condominiums . . . , nice children, a beautiful mistress, an unsuspecting wife, secure corporate positions—and suicidal tendencies. They have everything this world has to offer except one thing—inner peace and joy. They come to my office as a last resort, begging me to help them conquer the urge to kill themselves.

2.  

Dependence on God

I turn to John Wyatt [cf. p. 103: professor of ethics and perinatology at University College Hospital in London] for an eloquent expression of the priority of dependence: “God’s design for our life is that we should be dependent.”

We come into this world totally dependent on the love, care and protection of others.  We go through a phase in life when other people depend on us.  And most of us will go out of this world totally dependent on the love and care of others.

And this is not an evil, destructive reality.  It is part of the design, part of the physical nature that God has given us. I sometimes hear old people, including Christian people who should know better, say, “I don’t want to be a burden to anyone else.  I’m happy to carry on living so long as I can look after myself, but as soon as I become a burden I would rather die.”

But this is wrong.  We are all designed to be a burden to others.  You are designed to be a burden to me and I am designed to be a burden to you.  And the life of the family, including the life of the local church family, should be one of “mutual burdensomeness.”  “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Christ himself takes on the dignity of dependence.  He is born a baby, totally dependent on the care of his mother.  He needs to be fed, he needs his bottom to be wiped, he needs to be proper up when he rolls over.  And yet he never loses his divine dignity.

And at the end, on the cross, he again becomes totally dependent, limbs pierced and stretched, unable to move.  So in the person of Christ we learn that dependence does not, cannot, deprive a person of their dignity, of their supreme worth.  And if dependence was appropriate for the God of the universe, it is certainly appropriate for us.

Taken from The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling by John R. W. Stott Copyright (c) 2010 by John R. W. Stott. Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. www.ivpress.com

credit: thepastorsworkshop.com

SHORT OF GAS

Have you ever run out of gas in your car? (If you don’t have your driver’s license yet, listen up in preparation for that day!) Making a phone call to Mom and Dad about running out of gas can be an incredibly embarrassing experience. Oftentimes, you lose car privileges. Your parents want you to understand the responsibility of maintaining a running car. The manna in Exodus was designed to show Israel just how much they depended on God. They couldn’t make their journey without food. Thankfully, they served a God who could deliver food miraculously.

2. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES

Walking through the hallways of a new school can be an intimidating experience. You may not know if everyone will be nice to you or if somebody will bully you. It’s amazing how much better it feels when you walk through the hallway with a friend, especially if they are older. It makes you feel confident. You have someone to protect you. As we journey through life, God is our protector. He is the one who looks out for us in the face of the threats we encounter.

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