Inspirational Stories

[FineLinen]

Highway Angel

I was driving home from a work when my car started to choke and sputter and died.

I barely managed to coast, cruising, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic on the highway and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over.

Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump! So I got out to see if she was okay. When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen. She was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.

Into focus

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now.

So, I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said,

"He heard you, and He sent me."

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name and that she lived nearby. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago, and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay the rent January 1st, and finally, in desperation, had called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas but not that they were going to live there.

I gave her my gloves and a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?"

"Sweetie, at this time of year, angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, when I got in my car, it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow for a check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.

[FineLinen]

Butch O'Hare

Butch O'Hare 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 defenseless. His was the only opportunity to distract and divert them. Single-handedly, 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 maneuvers, 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 honors. And as you may know, O'Hare Airport was named after him.

Easy Eddie

Prior to this time in Chicago, there was a man called Easy Eddie. He was working for a man you've all heard about, Al Capone. Al Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic, but he was notorious for the murders he'd committed and the illegal things 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. 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.

[FineLinen]

God loves you as you are, not as you should be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKSofu9YlyQ&t=7s

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The Homing Instinct

A hundred years ago, a pair of English ornithologists took birds from their mother's nest on the island of Skokholm off the coast of Wales. They tagged those birds and transported them to various far-off places, then released them to see whether the birds could find their way home to Wales.

One of those birds was released in Venice. Despite the tremendous distance (about 1,000 miles) and despite the fact that this species wasn't native to the region, the bird found its way back home by a path it had never flown  in just over 14 days!

That experiment was repeated with even greater distances.

Two birds were transported by train in a closed box to London, then flown by airplane to Boston. Only one of the two survived that trip. The lone surviving bird flew all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and found its way back to its mother's nest in 12 days and 12 hours!

Pretty impressive, right?

Even ornithologists are amazed by this inbuilt capacity called the homing instinct. It's the inherent ability to find their way home across great distances, despite unfamiliar terrain.

There's a similar instinct hardwired into the human soul, the longing to be blessed by God.

In the words of Saint Augustine, "You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

The 17th-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal called it the God-shaped hole.

Pope Francis called it "nostalgia for God".

Yet despite our innate nature to long for God's blessings, they don't always come in our timing.

[FineLinen]

The Boy Who Saved A Village

Once upon a time in a small mountain village, it was the custom for the villagers to strap on their knapsacks each morning. Then, during the day, each time they worried about something or felt depressed about a problem, they would pick up a small pebble and put it in their knapsack. The knapsacks were heavy and a burden to carry because the villagers never emptied them. They carried their burdens every day. It was all they knew.

One day one of the village elders walked down to the river bank bent over from his knapsack full of burdens and noticed one of the small boys from the village skipping pebbles across the water. The boy's knapsack was empty.

What are you doing? the old man asked. And why is your knapsack empty?

Why aren't you carrying your burdens like the rest of us?

"I come down to the river bank at the end of each day," the boy said, "and skip my pebbles across the water until my knapsack is empty. I see no reason to keep carrying them."

The old man was stunned and so bent over from his knapsack full of burdens that he could hardly move. He had never seen anyone cast their burdens away like that.

Would you like to try it?  the boy asked.

The old man was hesitant, yet it seemed like such a good idea. Slowly he reached into his knapsack that was large and heavy from all the burdens he had accumulated over many years. He grabbed a pebble and studied it, recalling the burden of pain that he felt when he had placed it in his knapsack. He was so bent over that it was difficult to cast the burden away and watch it skip across the water and finally disappear, but he somehow did it.

The boy smiled.

The old man smiled also. It was easier than he thought to let go of the burden.

Then he tossed another pebble, another burden, then another, and another. The boy stayed and watched. They built a fire and the old man kept throwing until his knapsack was at last empty. He felt so relieved.

The next day the old man, standing straight and tall, told the other villagers what happened and how good he felt. They could see how happy he was, how he looked and acted like a different person. They were amazed.

At the end of the day, all the villagers joined the old man and the small boy and went to the river bank and skipped their burdens across the water until their knapsacks were empty. They were amazed at how good and happy they felt. They never continued to hang onto their burdens again.

A sign was erected at the entrance to the village that said,

IT'S HARD TO BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD WHEN YOU'RE CARRYING IT ON YOUR SHOULDERS. LET GO AND LIVE.

[FineLinen]

Everything Is Black & White: everything!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1X0QTTtPmc

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It's a mad, mad world!

A missionary tells of his experience about being assigned a car that would not start without a push.

After pondering this problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running.

He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

When a new missionary came to take over his station, he proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started. As he was talking, the young missionary picked up the hood only to find that the only trouble was a loose cable. He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and the engine roared to life.

For two years, needless trouble had become routine -- but the power was there all along -- and the only thing that was needed was a better connection!

[FineLinen]

A beautiful wife with bad vision: a devoted husband

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/elderly-man-goes-to-beauty-school-to-learn-to-do-his-wifes-make-up

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The African Impala (an African antelope) are amazing creatures that can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance greater than 30 feet.

Yet Impalas can be kept in a zoo inside an enclosure with a simple 3-foot wall.

Why?

Impalas will not jump if they can't see where their feet will land.

"Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends." ~George Mueller

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During the gold rush, a man who had been mining in Colorado for several months quit his job, as he hadn't struck gold yet and the work was becoming tiresome.  He sold his equipment to another man who resumed mining where it had been left off. The new miner was advised by his engineer that there was gold only three feet away from where the first miner stopped digging.

The engineer was right, which means the first miner was a mere three feet away from striking gold before he quit.

The Moral =

When things start to get hard, try to persevere through the adversity. Many people give up on following their dreams because the work becomes too difficult, tedious, or tiresome but often, you're closer to the finish line than you may think, and if you push just a little harder, you will succeed.

[FineLinen]

Quality of character

An official of a mission board, who knew it takes more than just desire to make a missionary, was appointed to examine a candidate for the mission field.

He told the young man to be at his house at six o'clock in the morning. The young man complied and arrived a six o'clock sharp. The examiner kept him sitting alone in the room until ten.

Then he finally came in and said abruptly, " Young man, can you write your name?"

A little taken aback by the simplicity of his question, the man paused.

Before he could get a word out, the examiner blurted, "What, you don't know what it is?"

The mission board official put him through a series of questions of that nature and then went to report to the mission board.

"Okay," he said, "he will do."

I tried his patience for hours and hours and he did not break down; Then I insulted him and he did not lose his temper....

This candidate answered with patience, fortitude, and gentleness. His faith was vindicated by the very quality of his character. He will make a good missionary.

[FineLinen]

Fear

There is an old Indian fable that tells of a mouse who was in constant distress because of its fear of cats.

So a magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat so it would have no more fear.

Now as a cat, it was in fear of dogs.

So the magician turned it into a dog.

Now, as a dog, it was stressed out in fear of tigers.

Then the magician turned the dog into a tiger.

Now, as a tiger, it was shaking in fear of hunters.

The magician finally said to the tiger,

"Be a mouse again. You only have the heart of a mouse, and I cannot help you."

[FineLinen]

I Will Walk Again

https://www.philhenrypowergospel.org/video/power-message-special-118-i-will-walk-again-the-inspiring-story-of-justus-edwards/

"Hard work always pays off;  mere talk puts no bread on the table. The wise accumulate wisdom;  fools get stupider by the day." -MSG

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Hope for the hopeless

https://www.philhenrypowergospel.org/video/five-min-power-message-82-she-hurts-cancer-3-10-19/

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

'You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

You're blessed when you're content with just who you are no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full', you find yourselves cared for.

You're blessed when you get your inside world, your mind and heart, put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom." -MSG

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Story of the bamboo

Once upon a time lay a beautiful garden. And there in the cool of the day was the Master of the garden, who went for a walk. Of all the dwellers of the garden, the most beautiful and beloved was a gracious Bamboo. Year after year Bamboo grew yet more beautiful and he was conscious of his Master's love and watchful delight. Yet he was modest and gentle. Often when Wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would throw aside his dignity and dance merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon. He would lead the great dance of the garden which most delighted his Master's heart.

https://renatoamato.com/en/soul-care/the-story-of-bamboo/

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A street preacher and the birth of a man of God.

In a tiny farming community in western Pa. a remarkable man of God was born.

In the progression of his life he worked for a tire company. While on his way home from work one day, he overheard a street preacher say "If you don't know how to be saved just call on God saying Lord, be merciful to me a sinner."

Upon returning home he climbed into the attic and heeded the preacher's advice. On that fateful day God called a modern day prophet to Himself.

His name: Aiden W. Tozer (A.W. Tozer)

A.W. Tozer

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Mickey Rooney

Rooney's private life was turbulent, and his eight marriages became the fodder for late-night comedians jokes. But the challenges he survived.

After the deaths of his mother and fifth wife in 1966, he battled substance abuse and financial problems. In the depths of the valley Rooney had an unusual encounter that he said changed his life.

Over breakfast at a Lake Tahoe casino coffee shop, Rooney was greeted by a busboy with blond curls, a white-rose complexion, and shining teeth, he recounted.

When the young man called his name, Rooney started to stand, thinking he had a telephone call. But the busboy leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, Mr. Rooney, Jesus Christ loves you very much.

Then the mysterious busboy vanished.

When Rooney looked for the young man and gave his description to the manager of the establishment, he was told that no such person worked there. Rooney believed he was visited by an angel.

By the 1990s Mickey boldly proclaimed a very orthodox faith centered on Jesus Christ as his Savior and being an unabashed Christian.

I've given my life to God and I try and do the right thing, but inevitably, and unfortunately, I do the wrong thing. I suffer from being human.

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More money or more time?

A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of California Los Angeles wanted to find out, "if you had to choose between more time and more money, what would it be?" While they found most respondents answered, "more money", they also found that those who preferred "more time" were generally happier!

A wealthy businessman was shocked to see a fisherman sitting beside his boat, playing with a small child.

The businessman asked, "Why aren't you out fishing?" The fisherman replied, "Because I've caught enough fish for one day."

"Why don't you catch some more?" the businessman further inquired.

"What would I do with them?" asked the fisherman.

"You could earn more money," said the businessman. "Then with the extra money, you could buy a bigger boat, go into deeper waters, and catch more fish. Then you would make enough money to buy nylon nets. With the nets, you could catch even more fish and make more money. With that money, you could own two boats, maybe three boats. Eventually, you could have a whole fleet of boats and be rich like me."

"Then what would I do?" replied the fisherman.

"Then you could really enjoy life," answered the businessman. The fisherman looked at the businessman quizzically and asked, "What do you think I'm doing now?"

[FineLinen]

Between the years 1861-1865 the United States found itself in the midst of a bitter civil war over the issue of slavery, and several other serious disagreements. By the time the North won the war nearly 620,000 soldiers had perished. There were many in the North who were so embittered that the South had dragged them into such a deadly conflict that they wanted the South to pay dearly.

At the end of the war, a group of Southerners gained an audience with President Abraham Lincoln.

His gentle, kind and friendly personality quickly softened the hearts of his once-hardened foes and the Southerners left the interview with a deep respect for the man who had been their bitter enemy. Not long afterward, a northern congressman criticized Lincoln for "befriending the enemy!" He suggested that he should have had them shot for being traitors instead of welcoming them!

His response = He said, simply ,

"Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?"

[FineLinen]

The Two Wolves

A Cherokee was instructing his grandson about a battle that goes on in every human being. He said to the young man, the battle is between two wolves. One wolf is slothful, cowardly, vain, arrogant, and full of self-pity, sorrow, regret, envy and anger. The other wolf is diligent, courageous, humble, benevolent, and full of compassion, joy, empathy and faith.

Then there was a silence.

The grandson thought about the wolves for a moment and then asked his grandfather, "which wolf wins?"

The Cherokee elder replied, "the one you feed".

[FineLinen]

The Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot?s side?" That''s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.


Moral

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. In this world, nothing goes to waste. You may think like the cracked pot that you are inefficient or useless in certain areas of your life, but somehow these flaws can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

[FineLinen]

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

The Story Behind the Hymn

You don't need to be rescued from life-threatening danger or see God's miraculous provision in the direst of financial crises to truly know the faithfulness of the Lord. God remains faithful day in and day out in the largest and smallest of circumstances.

Thomas Chisholm wrote Great Is Thy Faithfulness as a testament to God's faithfulness through his very ordinary life.

Born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky, Chisholm became a Christian when he was twenty-seven and entered the ministry when he was thirty-six, though poor health forced him to retire after just one year. During the rest of his life, Chisholm spent many years living in New Jersey and working as a life insurance agent. Still, even with a desk job, he wrote nearly 1,200 poems throughout his life, including several published hymns.

Chisholm explained toward the end of his life,

My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.

Just think, with each new day, God gives us the chance to prove His faithfulness. And throughout history, He's never once been proven wrong, for His mercies are new every morning, no matter what.

https://songselect.ccli.com/Search/Results?List=contributor_P401539_Thomas%20Obediah%20Chisholm

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A Goose Tale

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/goose-massachusetts-had-undergo-surgery-100051685.html

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Hopeless Plan =

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/tried-walk-water-florida-york-184139088.htm

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One day a passerby saw a homeless man on the roadside. He stopped for a moment to hand him some loose change and casually said "God bless you, my friend."

"I thank God," said the homeless man, "I am never unhappy."

"What do you mean?" the passerby asked.

"Well," he said, "when the sun is out, I thank God -- when it rains, I thank God. When I am full, I thank God and when I am hungry, I thank God. And, since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases Him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?"

The man looked at him in astonishment and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am a King," said he.

"Where, then, is your Kingdom?" asked the man.

"In my heart." The homeless man replied.