Power Verses…… "....They cry out to the Lord in their troubles, and He brings them out of their distress. He calms the storm, so that the waves are still." (Psalm 107:28, 29)

 

 

A mother with three children aged 14, 12, and 3 was on the verge of completing her college degree.   Her teacher was totally inspirational, displaying the qualities she wished every human being could be graced with.
The last class she had to take was Sociology, and her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'  The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. Being a very friendly person this mother always smiled at everyone and said hello as a matter of course. So, she thought this practical exercise would be a piece of cake.

Soon after she was assigned the project, she went, with her husband and youngest son, to McDonald's one crisp March morning.  This was just their way of sharing some special playtime with their son.
They were standing in the queue, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around them began to back away, including her husband.  She did not move an inch... but an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of her as she turned to see why they had moved.   As she turned around she smelt a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there, standing behind her, were two poor homeless men.

As she looked down at the short gentleman closest to her, he was smiling, his beautiful sky blue eyes giving the impression that he was searching for acceptance.
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching in his grubby hand.
The second man fumbled nervously with his hands as he stood behind his friend. She soon realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was the only human friend he had in the world.
She held her tears as she stood there with them. The young lady at the McDonald's counter asked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. Apparently if they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something to eat, but that was not possible. They just wanted to be warm.
This situation, and her college project fresh in her mind really challenged the mother, in fact, the compulsion was so great she almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

Then she noticed all eyes in the restaurant were on her, judging her every action. She smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give her two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. She then walked around the corner to the table where the men had chosen as a resting spot. She put the tray on the table and laid her hand on the blue-eye gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at her, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
She leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'

She started to cry as she walked away to join her husband and son. When she sat down her husband smiled at her and said, 'that’s why God gave you to me, Honey,
to give me hope.’ We held hands for a moment and in the silence, we knew that only because of the Grace that God had given us were we able to give in return.
They were not regular church goers, but were believers. On that day she said, “I was shown the pure Light of God's unconditional love.”

She returned to college on the last evening of class, and submitted 'her project' which the teacher read. The teacher, after reading it, asked her if she could share it with the rest of her class.
The mother slowly nodded in agreement as the teacher got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when the young mother fully realized the impact of one simple act of kindness that began with a smile. 
In her own way she had touched the two homeless men, the people at McDonald's, her husband, her son, her teacher, and every person that shared the classroom on the last night she spent as a college student.

She graduated learning one of the biggest lessons she would ever learn:

THE CHALLENGE OF UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

You see the eternal value of each human being is wonderfully documented in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Take some time to read Matthew 25:31-46.
Verses 35, 36 and 40 go right to the very essence of the unique value of every human life:

 Jesus said....“…..for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me……..assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.

The good you do today, people will often forget about tomorrow…..
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies…..
Succeed anyway.

If you are kind, people often accuse you of being selfish and having ulterior motives....
Be kind anyway.

What you spend years building, someone may try to destroy overnight…..
Build anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you…..
Be honest and frank anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough…..
Give the world the best you have anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous…..
Be happy anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it’s between you and God…..
It was never between you and them anyway.

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