Inspirational Stories #14

Heaven's Grocery Store

I was walking down life's highway a long time ago. One day I saw a sign that read, "HEAVEN'S GROCERY STORE". As I got a little closer the door came open wide and when I came to myself I was standing inside. I saw a host of ANGELS. They were standing everywhere. One handed me a basket and said, "My Child shop with care".

Everything a Christian needs was in that grocery store. And all you couldn't carry, you could come back the next day for more.

First, I got some PATIENCE: LOVE was in the same row. Further down was UNDERSTANDING: you need that everywhere you go. I got a box or two of WISDOM, a bag or two of FAITH. I just couldn't miss the HOLY GHOST, for it was all over the place. I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE to help me run this race. By then my basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed some GRACE. I didn't forget SALVATION, for SALVATION was free, so I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me.

Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill, for I thought I had everything to do the MASTER'S will.

As I went up the aisle, I saw PRAYER and I just had to put that in, for I knew when I stepped outside, I would run into sin. PEACE AND JOY were plentiful; they were last on the shelf. SONG and PRAISE were hanging near, so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel, "Now, how much do I owe?" He smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go." Again, I smiled and said, "How much do I really owe?" He smiled again and said, "MY CHILD, JESUS PAID YOUR BILL A LONG, LONG TIME AGO."

"ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER YOU SHALL ASK IN PRAYER, BELIEVING, YOU SHALL RECEIVE." (MATTHEW 21:22)

There once was an old man who lived in South Korea. After the war, times were hard and life wasn't easy. His occupation was that of a metal collector (the lowest job possible at the time). He would search garbage can after garbage can looking for scraps of metal which he could sell to the government. He earned a ten dollars and spent only five to buy food. He lived in a hut which he built on the mountain side and was a very lonely person. He lived a sad life for his face was severely scarred from a fire which killed his family. No one would look at him because he was so grotesquely scarred and because of this he kept very quiet and avoided people when he could. His main goal in life was to save enough money to fix his face so he could live a normal life.

Now there was a orphan who lived in the streets every day. His parents left him when he was only nine and because of malnutrition the boy lost his sight. Every day the boy begged for food but the people beat him and he couldn't even run away because he was blind. The old man saw the broken hearted boy and felt sympathy for him and took him home. There he fed him, clothed him, and treated him like his own beloved son. The boy was joyful and was so grateful to this person who treated him like a loving father. Years passed and one day he said, "I'm sorry for being so useless. I wish my eyes become better so I could help you work. You must be so beautiful and wonderful because you took care of someone like me. Maybe one day I could see your wonderful face." The old man became silent being too moved to say anything.

The next day he went to the hospital with the and asked the doctor privately how much it would cost for the surgery to heal his face. The doctor told him around a thousand dollars. He asked again how much it would be to heal the young boy's sight. The doctor said fifteen hundred dollars will do. He had saved up for ten years and had around a little more than fifteen hundred. He went up to the young boy and said, "After you receive your sight I can't be with you, yet I shall always think of you. I want you to be happy and live a good life." After these words he paid the doctor and the tired man left knowing he could never truly reveal himself to the one he loved so dearly. After the surgery the boy could see again. He was filled with joy and wondered why he couldn't see the one he loved so dearly. He left and started looking for a job and soon found one at a restaurant. He became a waiter there and worked full time earning a good amount. The next day the old man came looking for metals to collect. He started searching around the garbage can of the restaurant when the manager came to tell him to leave because he was scaring the customers. The boy soon came to his side threatening the old man to leave also. The metal collector looked at the boy and he smiled a warm smile at the boy and left not wanting the boy to see him cry his happy tears. Later at the restaurant the manager said to the boy, "what an ugly man". The boy's reply was, "I know, I hope I never see him again." When I wrote this I wanted people to feel something in their hearts. I wanted them to be moved and say, "hey this isn't right, the old man shouldn't have to suffer like that." It's like how Jesus loves us though. He does so much for us and yet he we don't care for his existence. Imagine how that old man must be feeling. We're like that boy and that old man who loves us so much is Jesus. He is ever faithful and is an all loving God. I pray that this will help you understand the love of God a little better.

Crossroads

My spirit and soul hover at the crossroads, waiting. We listen. Here you can hear all the way down through time and at times things roll back down the road from the future. Sometimes a flash of things to come illuminates the whole crossroads for days at a time. I have tried many different crossroads but this one is the best. Most of the other ones have bends in the road so you get echoes. Echoes are hard to listen to, so I prefer this one. The reason you can hear so well here is because the road to the past and future are absolutely straight. There may be others, I don't know, be sure and let me know if you find them.

I AM! thunders up from the past and the atmosphere shakes as the Words roll off into the future. Tornadoes and hurricanes tremble at the power in that voice. That makes me smile, trembling bullies, ha! Hours pass and serenity again settles on the crossroads.

Listen, do you hear? The sweetest voice and heavenly music drift by. That's David the psalmist once again pouring out his heart. Can a heart and soul weep? I tell you they can. Now listen carefully. Yes, that's right, the music is coming from the past and the future at the same time. Stereo you might say, or surround sound would be a better description. Now think about this, only our hearts and souls are out here, must be soul music.

The marching Words seem a little closer this 'morn don't they? I am sure of it, if you look at the time and seasons you will know for sure. Every now and then you see a few Words go on by, and if you look far enough up the road into the future you can see them waiting there. I have been observing this for a while now. If you look when we come back in a day or two, you can see that they are closer. The future and past both getting closer, one of those paradoxes I guess. There it is though for all the world to see, I wonder why the psychic's can't see that? Selective vision, I suspect.

One day I said, Father, where does the light come from here at the crossroads? Three days later riding whispers came this word ~Glory~. For three days the air was silent, vacant air, then that one word. The best things in life are worth waiting for, aren't they?

A spirit, a soul, crossroads, and whispered Glory. I often wonder why I am the only one here, there is plenty of room. Spirits and souls don't take up much room. It used to be said that everyone loves a parade and this is truly the grandest parade of all! I know that in the future many will come here to watch the future come to pass, so I guess I should be happy for the solitude. I do wonder though, what people do with their time. I would think that past and future would be very important to people, yet many spend so much time trying to forget, makes me wonder.

Watch this. Father, I need your love...... Now wait....... Isn't that exquisite? Surrounded by love, past, present, and future. It pulls and surrounds from every direction. Timeless, all consuming. Let me tell you a secret, you never have to ask because it's always here and it's always yours. All you have to do is accept it. Joy works the same way if you let it. You don't have to stir it up, or dance for it, or carry on, but you do have to accept it. "Just do it", as the world is so fond of saying.

Let me tell you the story of how I found this crossroads. In the past I wandered around aimlessly. I would say, Lord I don't know what you want me to do. You see I was expecting some grand plan and design with my every step laid out, my every pitfall seen, my every course of action clearly defined. Ha! What a loony I was. I wouldn't do the simple things that God told me to do. I thought they were too trivial. I would get a prompt in my spirit and I would wonder for days if it was God or me. Now tell me, would I tell myself to do something that I didn't want to do? Would the devil tell me to do something that would glorify God? If I am told to do something and it is in line with the Bible, what would the harm be of me doing it?

So I started obeying, the Father would say do this or that and I would, and in due time I came to be here. It has truly been a very interesting journey. Have I been lost along the way? Of course! I was lost last week as a matter of fact, but the important thing is that I am here now. So tell me did you know before now that the crossroads existed? No, no, no, I'm not talking about your personal crossroads, I'm talking about The Crossroads. The one where past, present, and future are laid out for you to see and hear if you are willing to take the time to wait on the Lord. Oh, you won't immediately have clarity of vision, get rid of that notion right now. I will tell you this though, if you take the time you will know a lot more than you know now. You will see more and know more and some vital things that you need to know will be there when you need them. You will just know, it is one of the best feelings you will ever have, knowing what to do.

So what do you have to lose but uncertainty? Take the time that you spend worrying and come out to the crossroads and wait on the Lord. Here are some things you will discover. You probably don't have a clue how to wait. You have to let your mind roam and have free thought for far too long, but you can train it. Bring a journal with you and write down the things you hear. The more you write, the more you will hear. It just works that way, I don't know why. Judge everything you hear by the Bible. If you can't find it in the Bible, it is not from God. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things if you ask Him. Come and find me, we can listen together.

I tell you true that this world doesn't have long to live in it's present state, things are winding down. So the time to move is now, there is vital information that the Holy Spirit has that you need. You have listened to the world all your life, even your Christian life, and where has it taken you? The world has no answers, no solutions, no soul-utions either. Come on out and listen for a spell, watch, pray, but most of all get quiet before the Lord. Interesting things up and down the roads of future and past. This is a most amazing time to watch and wait, what a time and season to be alive! I'll keep an eye out for you, so will the Holy Spirit, just whisper if you need help. No need to shout, all of future and past can hear out here at the crossroads.

-by Pat Worrell
-Copyright © 1997

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