Are U there God?

Are U there God?



There once was an older, destitute man.
He had lost his family, his dignity, his work,
and all his worldly possessions.
The only thing he had left was his faith in God.

One day, he walked along the city sidewalks;
homeless as he was.
Peering around the city buildings, the passing cars, and
sidewalk shoppers - he remembered
a time when had the love of his wife,
the comfort of home, and the camaraderie of his many
friends and successful business partners.
Just for one moment,
he could feel the love and passion
he once used to enjoy.
But then he looked up into the sky,
and he could see the graying
clouds rolling overhead;
and the wind began to fly past his
ragged shirt sleeves.

Realizing that he was who he was,
he knew he had to find
shelter before the rains began to fall.
Across the street, he saw the old city park
that he used to visit when he was just a child.
In the far end of the park, he spotted the old gazebo
he'd frequented with his high school sweetheart.
Suddenly, the rain began to fall.
These weren't just ordinary raindrops -
they were hard, heavy, and oversized
droplets of water that pelted his
head and neck like small stones.
His walk turned into a fast run
as he struggled to get under
the shelter of the gazebo.
Shaking off his shirt and
wiping the wetness from his
cheeks and forehead,
the man sat back on the two-seater swing
beneath the gazebo.
Then he shook his head in disbelief. "Is
this what life is all about?" he asked,
shaking his fist and peering up toward the grey skies,
"What more do you want from me?"

Just then, the sky began to clear
and above the skyscrapers, he
could faintly see some bright hues
of red, purple, pink, and even blue.
It was a rainbow; and the sun's rays began to shine
through the break in the clouds.
Now sobbing, the man looked
back up into the sky,
and he asked, "Are You there, God?"
But there was no audible reply.

A few moments passed when a park ranger
made his way up to the old gazebo,
"Top of the day to you, sir," he said to the man.
The man glanced at the ranger
as the voice sounded vaguely familiar.
Sure enough, the man remembered
the park ranger as a friend he once knew
many, many years in his past.

"I think I know you,"
the man replied to the ranger, "aren't
you Ed from the country store?"

The ranger was slightly taken aback as he too,
recognized the man.
But the ranger's name was not Ed;
that was his father's name.
"My name is Paul," said the ranger,
stretching out his hand to the man on the swing,
"Ed was my father."

"Oh," replied the man, "I'm Mark Baker,"
he paused to shake Paul's hand.

The similarities were uncanny,
but Mark certainly remembered Ed,
and this ranger was the spitting image of him.

"How'd you know my dad?" asked Paul.

"Oh, it was so long ago...
you wouldn't want to hear how we met,"
replied Mark.

Taking a couple steps beneath the shelter, Paul said,
"Humor me."

Mark explained that he and Ed
had met each other in the local hospital.
Mark had gone there to pick up his lab tests
where he and Ed had struck up a conversation
while they sat in the waiting room.
By the time all was said and done,
he discovered that he was the perfect match for Ed -
the perfect kidney match.
"Needless to say," said Mark,
"one thing led to another and
we were kidney partners for life."

"What happened to you?" asked Paul.

"Wall Street called me, greed took me,
and I played my last bit of luck," he replied.
Sighing aloud, Mark blinked to clear the
water from his eyes, "and then I lost it all."

"I remember you," said Paul,
then he pulled out a photograph
from his wallet, and pointed to two men
standing side-by-side by the old country store,
"that's you, and that's my dad."

Peering at the old black and white photograph,
he could faintly make out the faces
of the worn picture,
"Sure does look like me, doesn't it?" asked Mark.

Paul began smiling and he replied,
"It is you," then he took a deep breath,
"do you know for how long
I have been looking for you?"

Mark simply shook his head,
"well, you found me ... I wish under
better circumstances."

Just then, Paul placed his hand upon Mark's shoulder,
"I wish my dad would've been able to see you again.
He talked about you all the time ...
and especially right before he died," Paul sighed,
"because of you, he was able to watch me graduate
and get my high school diploma,
and later, he got to hold his newborn
grandson - my son."

"Wow," Mark replied,
"I didn't realize that one kidney
could do all that."

"You don't understand, Mark," said Paul,
"when he died, he left you the old country store
and the house.
It's been waiting for your return but you never came ...
until now."

And suddenly, Mark had received his answer ...
and his solution to his homelessness.
It had been there the whole time but it took
him losing everything before he would
rediscover the rainbow of hope once again.

Even in your darkest hour, when you ask -
God shows up in the most unlikely places.
All Rights Reserved
By CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd
Lexington, S.C.

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN


This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so true:

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked
side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide
stopped in front of the first section and said, '
This is the Receiving Section..

Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received..


I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels
sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from
people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, ' This is the Packaging and Delivery Section.

Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and
delivered t o the living persons who asked for them. ' I noticed again how
busy it was there.

There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings
had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a
very small station.

To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. '
This is the Acknowledgment Section, ' my angel friend quietly ad mitted to
me.

He seemed embarrassed ' How is it that there is no work going on here? ' I
asked.

'So sad, ' the angel sighed. ' After people receive t he blessings that they
asked for, very few send back acknowledgments. '

'How does one acknowledge God ' s blessings? ' I asked.

'Simple, ' the angel answered. Just say, ' Thank you, Lord. '

'What blessings should they acknowledge? ' I asked.

'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have
money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among
the top 8% of the world ' s wealthy. '

'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the
world who has that opportunity. '

'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ...

You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this d ay. '

'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ...

You are ahead of 700 million people in the world. '

'If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture
or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in
the world. '

'If your parents are still alive and still married ..you are very rare.'

'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you ' re
unique to all those in doubt and despair.. '

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that
someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than
over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along
to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.
'Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message

What do Angels Look Like
Author Unknown




Like the little old lady who returned your wallet yesterday.
Like the taxi driver who told you that your eyes light up the world, when you smile.


Like the small child who showed you the wonder in simple things.
Like the poor man who offered to share his lunch with you.
Like the rich man who showed you that it really is all possible, if only you believe.


Like the stranger who just happened to come along, when you had lost your way.
Like the friend who touched your heart, when you didn't think you had one.




Angels come in all sizes and shapes, all ages and skin types.
Some with freckles, some with dimples, some with wrinkles, some without.
They come disguised as friends, enemies, teachers, students, lovers and fools.


They don't take life too seriously, they travel light.
They leave no forwarding address, they ask nothing in return.
They are hard to find when your eyes are closed, but when you choose to see, they are everywhere you look.


So, open you eyes and count all your Angels -- for you are truly blessed!















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