Wednesday, February 01, 2006
THE WOODEN BOWL
THE WOODEN BOWL
By David Langerfeld
Feb 1, 2006
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law,and
four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was
blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.
But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating
difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped
the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do
something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled
milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."
So the husband and wife set a small table in the
corner.There,Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed
dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served
in a wooden bowl!
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a
tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had
for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood
scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"
Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for
you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old
smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then
tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken,
both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him
back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every
meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife
seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the
tablecloth soiled.
"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded
you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the
land the Lord your God is giving you. Deut. 5:16
PRAYER
"Lord Jesus, let the fire of your love and truth burn in my heart
that I may radiate the joy of the gospel to those around me."
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© 2005 FoodForThought
SIX YEAR OLD'S PRAYER
SIX YEAR OLD'S PRAYER
Author Unknown
Jan 31, 2006
Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son had
asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is
good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you
more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for
all, amen."
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a
woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't
even
know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream. Why, I never."
Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong?
Is God mad at me?"
As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God
was certainly not mad at him.
An elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and
said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."
"Really?", my son asked. Then in a theatrical whisper he added
(indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too
bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for
the soul sometimes."
Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son
stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the
rest of my life.
He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in
front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for
you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good
already."
PRAYER
"Lord, let your light burn brightly in my heart that I may know the
joy and freedom of your kingdom. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and
empower me to witness the truth of your gospel and to point others
to Jesus Christ."
****************************************************************
DISCLAIMER: FoodForThought shared this message as submitted and do not
claim to own any copyright privileges on it. All the messages are
believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality. It's a FREE service.
****************************************************************
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reflection, read past issues and feedbacks, give donation or submit a
prayer request please go to: http://www.dailyfoodforthought.org
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To unsubscribe:
unsubscribe@dailyfoodforthought.org
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Have a nice day!
© 2005 FoodForThought
