A true story...
Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six year old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is great and God is Good. Let us thank Him for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer." "Really?" my son asked. "Cross my heart." Then in theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes and my soul is good already." -Author Unknown

Wait

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said,
"Child, you must wait".
"Wait? You say, wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened?
Or have you not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and
YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes',
a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: I'm weary of asking!
I need a reply!"
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate As my Master replied once again,
"You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair,
Defeated and taut and grumbled to God,
"So, I'm waiting...for what?"
He seemed, then, to kneel,
And His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said,
"I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens,
And darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and
Cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want --
But you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each Saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the Faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of Despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm There;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could See.
You'd never experience that fullness of Love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a Dove;
You'd know that I give and I save...for a Start
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My Heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the Night,
The faith that I give when you walk without Sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you Asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly Flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee."
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come True,
But, Oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in You!
So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will See
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly Late,
My most precious answer of all is still, "Wait.'"
-Author Unknown
 

How Did You Know?

The day before Thanksgiving I was down to my last delivery. I was tired, feeling distinctly un-Thanksgivingish. I groaned when I saw the address. It was 40 miles away via a narrow, curving canyon road. Why did I get "stuck" with this visit?

The form from social services said the family had no telephone, so I struck out, trying to follow sketchy directions. A local pointed me to a small, neat house. When I knocked, two women and a 12-year-old girl all came to the door. They appeared to be grieving - and certainly were not expecting a guest.

I introduced myself. "Did someone from social services get in touch with you?" I asked. When they said, "No," I explained what I was doing, "Would you be able to use a container of food donated by our hospital employees?"

The sisters embraced and sobbed, nodding their assent. I eyed the bare kitchen, remembering leftover groceries in my van. I hauled in a dozen bags of food. Eventually the women explained that their father had died the week before. He was their sole breadwinner, Now, they didn't know how they would survive. "How did you know to knock on our door?" they exclaimed, "The only food we have is two TV dinners we're saving for Thanksgiving Day. And now - this!" - Chaplain Ron Hyrchuk