"Paid in full with one glass of milk" and other stories.

I found the following two stories to be quite interesting as well as thought-provoking and hence decided to share them on my blog. The third and fourth ones are plain hilarious, conveying a sharp satire.

1) One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day onwards he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval.

He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words.....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk."

(Signed)

Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

2) One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

- "It was great, Dad."
- "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
- "Oh yeah," said the son.
- "So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:

- "I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
- We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
- We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
- Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
- We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
- We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
- We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
- We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Pass this on to friends and acquaintances and help them refresh their perspective and appreciation. "Life is too short and friends are too few."

3) Three sons left home, went out on their own, and prospered. When they got back together several years later, they discussed the gifts they were able to give to their elderly mother.

The first said, "I built a big house for our mother."

The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver."

The third smiled and said, "Ha, I beat you both! Remember how mother loved to read the Bible? And you know that she can't see very well? Well, I sent her an amazing parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took the Church elders 14 years to teach him. Mom just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot will recite it."

Soon thereafter, their Mom sent out her letters of thanks: "Adam," she wrote to one son, "The house you built is so big. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house."

"John," she wrote to another, "I am too old to travel. I stay at home most of the time, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!"

"Dearest Gerald," she wrote to her third son, "You have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious....."

4) A man walking along a California beach was deep in prayer.

Suddenly, the sky clouded above his head and in a booming voice, the Lord said, "Because you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish." The man said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii, so I can drive over anytime I want."

The Lord said, "Your request is very materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific Ocean! The concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that would honour and glorify me."

The man thought about it for a long time. Finally he said, "Lord, I wish that I could understand my wife. I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says 'nothing's wrong', and how I can make a woman truly 'Happy'."

"The Lord replied, "You want 2 lanes or 4 lanes on that bridge?"

Photograph: When God paints - A beautiful view of nature.......