PRAYING HANDS

There are hands that help and comfort,
Hands that plan and teach,
Hands that rest and hands that strive
For a goal just out of reach,
Hands that grasp and hands that give,
Hands that work and play,
Friendly hands and loving hands
That soothes life's cares away.
But praying hands are dearest
In the sight of God above
For in their sweet and earnest clasp
Are reverence and love.
No hands can do an unkind act
Nor cause another care
Nor sin against Our Father's love
When they are clasped in prayer.
Author Unknown

Dear Lord, guide me as I step out the door today, lead me down the path of your choosing and shine through me to those that I meet along the way. Amen.

The most consummately beautiful thing in the universe is the rightly fashioned life of a good person.
George Herbert Palmer

You are writing a gospel,
A chapter each day,
By deeds that you do,
By words that you say.
Men read what you write,
Whether faithless or true,
Say, what is the gospel according to you?
Author Unknown

See each person you meet as one who knows your Lord or is seeking your Lord.
Author Unknown

Be kind and compassionate to one another.
Ephesians 4:32

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Corinthians 13:4

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.
Author Unknown

Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Luke 6:31

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man.

College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

" Jack, did you hear me?"

" Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

" Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him, he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

" I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

" You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

" He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown.

Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time.

The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture...

Jack stopped suddenly.

" What's wrong, Jack?" his mom asked.

" The box is gone," he said.

" What box?" Mom asked.

" There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

" Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said.
" I’d better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.”

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox.

” Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days,” the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.

The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.

The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.

” Mr. Harold Belser” it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.

” Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter.

His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.

Inside he found these words engraved:
” Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”

” The thing he valued most…was…my time.”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days.

” Why?” Janet, his assistant asked.

” I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

” Oh, by the way, Janet…thanks for your time!”
Author Unknown

” Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
Author Unknown

Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you Lord, for the everyday gifts I so often take for granted. Remind me to open my eyes and see your divine touch in all things. Help me to do what I can to communicate your love and paint a rainbow in the lives of those around me. Amen
Author Unknown

Love one another deeply, from the heart.
1 Peter 1:22

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.
Author Unknown

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:3 – 4

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hebrews 13:16

If I had known what trouble you were bearing;
What griefs were in the silence of your face;
I would have been more gentle, and more caring,
And tried to give you gladness for a space.
I would have brought more warmth into the place,
If I had known.
Mary Carolyn Davies

If I can do some good today,
If I can serve along life’s way,
If I can something helpful say,
Lord, show me how.
Greenville Kleiser

Encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
1 Thessalonians 5:14

During the waning years of the depression in a small Idaho community, I used to stop by Mr. Miller's roadside stand for farm fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce
and bartering was used extensively.

One day Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed
a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily
apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering
the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller
and the ragged boy next to me.

" Hello Barry, how are you today?"

" H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas ...sure look good."

" They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

" Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

" Good. Anything I can help you with?"

" No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

" Would you like to take some home?"

" No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

" Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

" All I got's my prize marble here."

" Is that right? Let me see it."

" Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

" I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of
go for red.

Do you have a red one like this at home?"
" Not zackley ... but almost."

" Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."

" Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."

I left the stand smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering. Several years went by, each more rapid that the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit