When you Give Away Something, you get Much More in Return

 Before you read tonight’s post I want to share some exciting news. I signed a contract this last week with Winepress Publishers. The book: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, will be coming out at the end of August or the first part of September. What follows is an actual excerpt from that book.

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It Is Better to Give than Receive

 

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you,

so you must love one another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35

 

Imagine what a heavy schedule of appointments President Abraham Lincoln had to keep day after day. Yet when an elderly woman with no official business in mind asked to see him, he graciously consented.

As she entered Lincoln’s office, he rose to greet her and asked how he might be of service. She replied that she had not come to ask a favor. She had heard that the president liked a certain kind of cookie, so she had baked some for him and brought them to his office.

With tears in his eyes, Lincoln responded, “You are the very first person who has ever come into my office asking not, expecting not, but rather bringing me a gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

My personal dictionary calls this elderly lady a silent hero—someone who does many things for others and never expect anything in return. My Aunt Dollie was the same kind of person. Her goal in life was to make sure her family was well cared for. And she wanted to be sure she had something to leave her children when she passed on. She did just that. She gave a lot of love to her children and many others, and when she passed on she left her family financially secure. But, more importantly, she left them with memories of a woman who stood out as a person who led by example, relied on tough love to mold her family and became a silent hero to many that knew her.

This type of person is high on the Lord’s priority list of how His followers should act. This type of unselfish love is the cornerstone of what the Bible teaches about love.

My brother Dave is a silent hero to me. I didn’t know for over 50 years that he had done something for me that changed my life because he wasn’t out to impress anyone with his love for his family.

When my brother was a senior in high school he told our mother he wasn’t going to go to college because our family couldn’t afford two people going to college at once. He said he would support me and help me make it through so that one of the members of the family could get a degree. Well, it took a long time because of the military and three children, but I got that degree and went into teaching.

I didn’t know about his sacrifice until over 40 years later when my mother told me. That, my friends, is a true silent hero! My brother gave up his chance for a college degree so I could get mine. I will never be able to thank him enough for what he did, but he knows now that my love for him has grown deeper than seems possible between two brothers. I also have become a silent hero in his back pocket to make sure that he knows how much I appreciate what he did for me.

John 13:34-35 says that we should love one another as He loves us. We can always think of what the Lord would do to help them and use that as a model for the help we give. Remember His unconditional love, and how He would do anything He could to comfort them and help them through any crisis or stressful situation. That is what silent heroes do.

 

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Matthew 23:11-12

 

“Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out”

—Frank A. Clark

 

Further adventures

Look around you and list those you feel are your silent heroes. You don’t need to share your findings with them. Just know that they are there, and be happy knowing that they will always be there for you.

 

Something to ponder

Isn’t it funny how he who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses?

* Excerpt from : Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.

 

Worry is the Dark Room Where Negatives Develop

 I wrote this chapter in my book,  Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, and I received many compliments on it. It was a real dream, I just added a little excitement for your enjoyment.

A Dream is What We build our Life on

 

Blessed I the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

I had a real dream the other night, and it was a western. It had me tossing and turning until the outcome unfolded.

The wonderful thing about dreams is that no matter how terrifying they are in the beginning, they almost always turn out for the good in the end. You notice that you never quite get caught by the monster that is chasing you. Isn’t it fun when you are flying and you can see everyone below you? I just flap my arms, and I fly. (OK, I know you’re thinking, This guy is crazy!)

How about the fact that you are the hero and you always save the day? Everything is wonderful. That is how life can be if you follow God. It doesn’t pay to worry, have anxiety and be full of fear. It doesn’t pay to be full of shame. It doesn’t pay one cent to be gossiping all the time. My dream is an example of that.

The characters:

The good guys: Matthew, Mark, John

Stranger on a white horse

The bad guys: Anxiety, Gossip, Shame, Death

Matthew, Mark, John and the Stranger—the four good guys—were riding on their horses through Sin City towards the Not OK Corral. Hiding from them were Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death—the four bad guys. They didn’t want the good guys to find them and stop the harm they were doing. They had control of all the people in the city and they wanted to keep control. Matthew, Mark and John were riding on brown horses because that was what they rode in those days. The Stranger was riding on a white horse.

The good guys were not gunslingers, they were Bible-slingers. The good guys got down off their horses and went searching for Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death.

Matthew found Anxiety leering around a corner trying to see where everyone was. Anxiety had a worried look on his face. He kept looking everywhere in fear—in back of him and in front of him. He didn’t know what to do.

Anxiety (aka worry) can be caused by a doctor’s appointment that holds the results of a blood test. It can be wondering if you can pay this month’s bills. It could be from a dispute you had with your wife. Whatever the case, from stage left comes Matthew, who says to Anxiety: “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He has done” (taken from Philippians 4:6).

Anxiety felt like a ton of weight had been taken off his shoulders, and he left the Not OK Corral much happier. Anxiety was gone.

Mark was looking for Gossip. When he found him, Gossip was talking so fast Mark couldn’t understand him. Gossip said, “Did you see Clem at the Horse’s Breath Saloon? He said he would never take another drink, and I just saw him walk in there!”

Gossip can ruin a person’s life. Talking about someone behind their back can only spread hurt and can cause unwanted hardship.

Mark put his hand over Gossip’s mouth and said: “As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 26:21–22).

Gossip was dumbfounded and was unable to speak further. He went away with a swollen tongue and was gone. There was no more gossip.

John found Shame hiding in a closet because he was so ashamed of what he had done all his life. He didn’t want anyone to see him this way.

Shame is often the last fatal nail in the heart of a person who is hurting from something they did in the past. Turn anything you are ashamed of over to God, and He will wipe it out of His books.

John felt pity for him and said, “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:16).

Shame rose and came out of the closet. He was a different man. He felt self-worth. He felt he was loved. He wanted to learn more about God. After this, Shame was gone. There was no more shame.

Then the Stranger went right to where Death was, for He knew where everyone was, and what they were doing every second of the day.

Death was a hideous creature. He was caring a sword and had a look on his face that would melt anyone who looked into his eyes. He really was the leader of this gang. There was fire coming out of his ears, and he laughed a chilling laugh. (This is the part where I was tossing, and turning!) He said, “You may have calmed the rest of my gang, but you have no power over me. Everyone has to die, and I will wait until they come to me.”

Yes, death will happen to all of us, but if we are under God’s you have a protective wing, we do not have to fear death. It is just a stepping stone to be with our heavenly Father. You can be assured that the angels are waiting for the moment you are ready to be with the Lord. It is like a parent anticipating a newborn. The angels will say, “Cool, here comes another one to be with us in heaven.”

The Stranger took off His cloak, and uncovered his head. It was Jesus. Jesus walked up to Death and said, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Death spun around in pain and, weaker but still standing, turned back toward Jesus.

Jesus said, talking to God: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (from Psalm 23:4).

Death began to wither and fell to the ground. He had no more power over people any longer.

So there was no more anxiety, no more gossip, no more being ashamed, and most importantly, no more death.

God is the final power. He controls all things. We can stop worrying about anything. Worrying and fear does not gain us one more minute in a day—and it saps our strength. Turn your anxiety, gossiping, shame and the fear of death over to Him, and He will send them on their way.

The four horsemen got on their horses and headed to the next town to see what gangs might have settled there. As they rode into the sunset, they all sang praises to God and worshipped Him.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

 

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.

Romans 2:7

 

Further adventures

Have you had one of those bad guys come into your life? Have you been faced with anxiety? Has someone said something about you to someone else that wasn’t true? Do you live in shame for past sins that you cannot get out of your mind? Have you lost a loved one? Always remember that God is always there. He knows what your anxiety is. He knows about the gossip that has been spread about you. He wants you to throw away your shame, like it was a broken toy.

And remember that death has no power if your loved one was a Christian. God is the final Word. He controls everything. Lean on Him through whatever trial you are going through. You will have some storms come into your life, but God is there to help calm them for you.

 

Something to ponder

Isn’t it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says?

(Excerpt from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World) Chapter 12