Story of the Week 16th August, 2013-23rd August, 2013 Is It Ever Too Late to Give a Blessing? Prov. 31: 28 “Her children rise up and call her blessed…” Prov 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (KJV). It is never too late to bestow a blessing on our grown children or others to whom you wish to share a blessing. David, Daniel and Denise (names are changed) grew up in a difficult home situation. David, the oldest, was eleven (11) years old at the time his father was taken from this family in a tragic auto accident. He was killed instantly by a truck that met him head on while rounding a curve on a two lane highway. Daniel was nine (9) and Denise seven (7). Their father, Arnold, was a wonderful father in that he was an excellent provider; he spent time with his children and provided a Christian home for them. Unfortunately, he was a stoic type of person, not given to meaningful and lengthy conversation. There was a constant turmoil between Arnold and his wife, Gretchen. She was totally deaf, and communication, at best, was not so great. She had been raised in an entirely different environment. Everything was difficult for her, and she had become a very controlling person as well as unreasonable in her demands on Arnold and the children. Nothing done by the others ever pleased her. Arnold was torn between trying to please his wife and trying to father his children. It was not the best of situations. Rarely did the children hear positive words from their father and none ever from their mother. Suddenly their father was gone. It made for a tough growing up time. Daniel was a very sensitive child who tended to internalize the turmoil around him. By his late teens he was dealing with stomach and digestive problems that eventually led to a major surgery and wearing of a colonostomy bag. To this day, his health is fragile, to say the least. Denise was determined to leave home as quickly as possible, no matter how. During her first year at college, she met and married a husband who was not a good choice. To put it mildly, he was much like her mother. He had a victim’s mentality and on top of it was a lazy bum and a hypochondriac of the worst kind. Denise had to become the lone support of her family. He eventually became so disabled, weakened and so fragile that he is confined to a wheelchair in a helpless condition. Her life has been one of misery. It’s a sad case. David, too, struggled in life. He was determined to become a self-employed person. He worked a couple of menial jobs but was frugal enough so that he was finally able to buy his own business. It failed. He bought another, it failed too. He went through this up and down financial struggle many times. Success seemed so near, but at the last moment always seemed to be snatched away. He was frustrated. However, he married a wonderful woman and became the father to three great kids. He determined he would not make the mistakes of his parents and, in my estimation, did an excellent job of parenting. One day, while in his late 40s, he was talking freely with an uncle, his father’s brother, about the ups and downs of his life and business, and expressed his frustrations. He said, “I think I’m missing a key ingredient. Something in my background or in my growing up days always seems to sabotage my business success. What do you think it is?” His uncle, older, wiser, perceptive and compassionate replied, “David, let’s talk about this some more. Did you ever receive any words of approval or a spoken acceptance of who you were when growing up? (He already knew what the answer would be, but wanted to hear it expressed by David). Did your dad or mother ever tell you that they loved you?” Tears began welling up in David’s eyes and quickly spilled down his cheeks. Soon they were followed by an agonizing, moaning, cry. The uncle reached out and pulled him close and held him for a number of minutes. When David had finally cried it out, he managed through sobs, to say, “Never once in my whole life was I ever told that I was loved that to this day. Dad may have told me when I was little, but I don’t remember. And my mother has not said that to this day. I remembered at Dad’s funeral thinking, ‘He didn’t tell me goodbye.’ And mother insisted that I had to be strong and not cry because I was now the man of the family. But never any thanks, never any words of love ever.” “Now, David, look at me and really focus on what I’m going to tell you,” his uncle replied. “Your father was my older brother by two years. We were quite close and I know I can speak for him. If he were alive today, I know he would want to bless you and express his love for you. Okay?” David nodded and answered, “Yes, I hear you and I understand.” “Now, David, I am going to bless you as your uncle, but also in the place of you father,” he went on. At this point, he reached out his hand and placed it on David’s forehead and pronounced this blessing: “David, I bless you with a creative and concept filled mind. I bless you with a breakthrough in your business. I bless you with God-given success beyond your fondest dreams. I bless you with the love of your father. I bless you with a new beginning. I bless you with God’s acceptance of who you are and who you will become. I bless you in the name of your father and in the name of the God whom we both love and serve!” Simple, to the point. David, now, some years later has become a very successful businessman and has this own factory, which turns out auto and truck parts. In fact, he is the largest employer in the county. He says, “When my uncle gave me that blessing, something clicked inside: It was like a load was lifted and a lifetime of searching for that elusive something that never could be had, ended. Now, I know it was this acceptance the Bible calls ‘THE BLESSING.’ My life changed at that turning point! Today I’m free to be all God wants me to be.” ~“Culled from Robert Strand’s “The “B” Word.” ACTION: We all know about Job’s troubles and the testing he went through. He steadfastly held onto his faith in the face of a wife telling him that the easy way out would have been to curse God and die. He didn’t, he survived! But not only did he survive; he was blessed by God in a very special way. The Lord accepted Job’s prayer. After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before… The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first (Job 42: 10, 12). Do you find yourself up to your arm pits in the swamp of life and swimming with the alligators? Learn how to pray and bless your friends and family. The above verses say that it was “After Job had prayed for his friends…” that he became blessed. The turnaround came for him when he began to focus outwardly. What an exciting concept it is to believe and experience THE BLESSING of God so that the latter part of your life is better than the first. This is contrary to society’s way of thinking. The best is yet to come! Begin to thank and praise God for the blessing that make the last part the best part. ~“Culled from Robert Strand’s “The “B” Word.” Bless somebody today! Note: Please like the following page to be able to send your responses/comments: https://facebook/PraisesIncorporatedAkaElEloheJerry GOD BLESS YOU AND HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 00:43:11 +0000
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