....become like children, ....enter the Kingdom of heaven

In the morning while I was riding to office I was thinking about a friend and praying for him. Something incredible came to my mind. It’s here:

One evening I was sitting with a family and we got this news that a small boy is in a hospital struggling for life. Everyone was on their knees, praying for this child. All of sudden in the middle of the prayers I heard a shout, “Please Papa; heal him, Papa. You are the healer”. I couldn’t wait and opened my eyes and saw a little girl praying to God, calling him Papa because she was taught that He was her father. I was so moved by that prayer. What compassion! What zeal! What confidence! What purity! And what faith!

It is written, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven”.

I wanted to cry aloud and scream as I said, “Lord, give me such heart; Oh, Lord!”

That day, once again I was convinced that God even hears simplest of the prayers and answers in His greatness.

Needless to mention, the boy was home the next day.

We have understood how created things work.

As I entered my teen years I found myself surrounded with multitude of questions about life that troubled me day after day and in search of the answers to those questions, I, an atheist came to a conclusion that “I” can rule my life if I make myself rise to a certain level of power within me. Only a fool can think that. Pro 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.

Having lot of questions about living things in mind I tried to study what people have to say on the life of man. And I learnt that we have knowledge about every creeping thing on the face of this earth. We have studied their behavior. We have studied their anatomy. We tried to trace their origins. We have all these philosophies of life but we don’t have the life giver. We have understood how created things work but we failed to understand their creator.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Sadhu Sundar Singh once said, supposing there is a tree full of fruits -- you will have to go and buy or beg the fruits from the owner of the tree. Every day you would have to go for one or two fruits. But if you can make the tree your own property, then all the fruits will be your own.

We spend time thinking about all the things He made; we have no time to give Him. We ask for all the fruits that He has for us; we do not ask for His very presence which is a tree that gives us those fruits.
Phillip Britts quotes Silesius’ writing, in his book ‘The Force Behind Nature’, "It is good to be busy and better to pray, but far better to stand mute and still before your God."
Standing mute and still before God is to tell God, “O God, here I withdraw, you take over.”

Dear Friend, I appreciate you!

I remember something great about a couple I knew few years back. In their conversations the man used tell the woman almost every day, “You are so good!” and the woman religiously answered, “You are better!”

Isn't that a wonderful way to express your love and appreciation?

Many times we find it so hard to say something good about others. An American businesswoman Mary Kay Ash says, “Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret.”

I learnt two things from Mary Kay’s statement.
1. I need to appreciate people openly
2. I want to be appreciated

I have so many people around me and so many of them have outstanding qualities that need appreciation. But instead of appreciating them I keep pointing to their mistakes which in turn bring blemish on me manifolds, everyday.

So I thought, I will avoid pointing out your mistakes and do not miss a single chance to say something good about you, that you really deserve.

I may sound selfish even here, but that’s ok for it is to help us. Read again the point numbered 2, above.

Do for others what you want them to do for you.

When was the last time you appreciated somebody? You did it today, that’s great. You didn’t? Don’t worry. It’s not late to start it right away.