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WITandWISDOM(tm) - November 27, 2000 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: It is right to be contented with what you have, never with what you are. - Author Unknown Source: Thought for Today, thoughtfortoday-subscribe@egroups.com via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: JOY HARD WON By Joni Eareckson Tada Honesty is always the best policy, but especially when you're surrounded by a crowd of women in a restroom during a break at a Christian women's conference. One woman, putting on lipstick, said, "Oh, Joni, you always look so together, so happy in your wheelchair. I wish that I had your joy!" Several women around her nodded. "How do you do it?" She asked as she capped her lipstick. I glanced at the nicely dressed women around me. I knew that the break would soon be over. How could I answer her question in about 60 seconds? How could I sum up in a sound bite what has taken me three decades of quadriplegia to learn? "I don't do it," I said. That raised their eyebrows. "In fact, may I tell you honestly how I woke up this morning?" Several women leaned against the counter to listen. "This is an average day," I breathed deeply. "After my husband, Ken, leaves for work at 6:00 a.m., I'm alone until I hear the front door open at 7:00 a.m. That's when a friend arrives to get me up." "While I listen to her make coffee, I pray, 'Oh, Lord, my friend will soon give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don't have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don't have a smile to take into the day. But You do. May I have Yours? God, I need You desperately.' " Looking at their expressions, I could tell that underneath the makeup and the jewelry, they too were carrying burdens. They were weary. Their hearts were bruised and numb. And they were curious to know more: "So, what happens when your friend comes through the bedroom door?" one of them asked. "I turn my head toward her and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It's not mine. It's God's. And so," I said, gesturing to my paralyzed legs, "whatever joy you see today was hard won this morning." The women in the restroom were silent. "And it's the only way to live. It's the Christian way to live." The break was over, it was time to move on. That evening many of them went home with weary bodies, swollen ankles and sore feet to face broken garbage disposals, indifferent husbands and rebellious children. I hope that the women also went home knowing that they can go desperately and urgently to God for grace. I have learned that the weaker we are, the more we need to lean on God; and the more we lean on God, the stronger we discover Him to be. God has used my quadriplegia to teach me, and others through me, that in our weakness, He is strong. - Joni Eareckson Tada is founder and president of JAF Ministries. She is also the author of 25 books, including her newest devotional, "More Precious Than Silver." She and her husband, Ken, live in Calabasas, California. Copyright (c) 2000 Joni Eareckson Tada Source: Decision, March 2000 www.graham-assn.org/decision/ via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: IMPORTANT WARNINGS On a blanket from Taiwan - Not to Be Used as Protection from a Tornado. On a helmet mounted mirror used by US cyclists - Remember, Objects in the Mirror Are Actually Behind You. On a Taiwanese shampoo - Use Repeatedly for Severe Damage. In a US guide to setting up a new computer - (Inside the box.) To Avoid Condensation Forming, Allow the Boxes to Warm up to Room Temperature Before Opening. In some countries, on the bottom of Coke bottles Open Other End. On a packet of Sun-maid raisins - Why Not Try Tossing over Your Favorite Breakfast Cereal? On a bar of Dial soap - Directions - Use like Regular Soap. On a child's superman costume - Wearing of this Garment Does Not Enable You to Fly. On some frozen dinners Serving Suggestion - Defrost. On a hotel provided shower cap in a box Fits One Head. Submitted by John L. Bechtel ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: "I've been on so many blind dates, I should get a free dog." - Wendy Liebman Source: Awesome Quotes, www.coolnewsletters.com via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Are any cars named after actual people? . . . Alfa-Romeo Nicola Romeo, while the "Alfa" stood for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, or Lombardy Automobile Works Company Aston-Martin - Lionel Martin, who won races on Aston Clinton hill, near Aylesbury, England. Bugatti - Ettore Bugatti Chevrolet - Louis Chevrolet Citroen - Andre-Gustave Citroen Daimler - Gottfried Daimler Ferrari - Enzo Ferrari Hillman - William Hillman Honda - Soichiro Honda Lancia - Vincenzo Lancia Maserati - The Maserati brothers, Carolo, Bindo, Alfieri, Ettore, and Ernesto Mercedes - Mercedes Jellinek, the ten-year-old daughter of Austrian financier and motor-racing enthusiast Emil Jellinek Opel - Adam Opel Peugeot - Armand Peugeot Porsche - Ferdinand Porsche Rolls-Royce - Charles Rolls and Henry Royce Skoda - Emil Skoda Toyota - Sakichi Toyoda. The family changed the name to Toyota since "Toyoda" needs ten characters in Japanese but "Toyota" only eight. And eight is the Japanese lucky number! Vanwall - Tony Vandervell Source: ArcaMax Trivia, www.arcamax.com via http://www.witandwisdom.org |