THE RIGHT HAND A newly appointed teacher was assigned the duty to handle a class in a school. The teacher who was handling that class had a very bad impression about the students. So she warned the new teacher about them and advised her to be stern, strict, rough and tough from the outset. Influenced by this advice, the new teacher entered the class with a grim face waving a cane to generate fear. The students were frightened seeing her expression. She asked them a question to test their previous knowledge and ordered that those who knew the answer should raise their right hands. Many students raised their right hands. Others who did not know the answer sat still, anticipating her violent reaction. While examining the students, she found that a boy in the last row had raised his left hand instead of his right hand. She assumed it to be an expression of gross misbehaviour and indiscipline, as she was prejudiced by the report of the previous teacher. She noted that he was probably the naughtiest student in the class. In a fit of anger, she rushed to the boy and thrashed him violently with the cane, shouting savagely, hoping that it would be an effective warning to all. The poor child fell down and cried aloud. Then she noted that his right hand was crippled and that was why he raised his left hand instead of his right hand, to show that he knew the answer. The teacher was shocked. She tried her best to pacify the crying child. Later she learned that the child had been a victim of poliomyelitis and used to write with his left hand as his right hand was totally deformed. This incident transformed the teacher. She became friendly with every student, asked them personal questions and learned the names, abilities, defects, special talents and family background of every student in her class. With this personal and affectionate approach she could easily win their appreciation and admiration. She became a very successful teacher and was loved and respected by all her students. Bias and prejudice may impair our judgment and damage human relations. Personal contact with intimate interaction with others is the best method of teaching, catechesis and evangelisation. Love is the language prescribed by Jesus for evangelisation. Jesus said, “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” {Matthew 22:39 }. St. James advises, “Remember this, my dear brothers! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry” {James 1: 19 }. St. Paul advises, “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin….Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you….Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ” {Ephesians 4: 26 -32}. By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India. This is Story No. 156 in this site. Please click ‘Older Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read previous stories and click ‘Newer Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read newer stories in this site. Please click on a word in the ‘Story Themes’ to read stories on that theme.

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Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy’s Day at school, and she couldn’t wait to go. But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home. Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone. But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates of why he wasn’t there today. But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home. But the little girl went to school, eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees, a dad who never calls. There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet. Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats. One by one the teacher called, a student from the class. To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed. At last the teacher called h er name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, for a man who wasn’t there. “Where’s her daddy at?” she heard a boy call out. “She probably doesn’t have one,” another student dared to shout. And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say, “Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day.” The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom. And looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique. “My Daddy couldn’t be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories, he taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me w ith pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him, I’m not standing here alone. ‘Cause my daddy’s always with me, even though we are apart. I know because he told me, he’ll forever be in my heart” With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years. For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, doing what was right. And when she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud. “I love my daddy very much, he’s my shining star. And if he could, he’d be here, but heaven’s just too far. You see he was a fireman and died just this past year. When airplanes hit the towers and taught Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my eyes, it’s like he never went away.” And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day. And to her mother’s amazement, she witnessed with surprise. A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes. Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side. “I know you’re with me Daddy,” to the silence she called out. And what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. Not one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose. And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining bright star. And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far.

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My Dad is A Rising Star

I remember a young lady who went to work for a company immediately after graduating from college. She seemed extremely talented but unbelievably timid. She was assigned to a division-level marketing department where she assisted in the production of advertising and collateral material. Her supervisor associated her shyness with a lack of technical and conceptual skills. As a result, she was never included in brainstorming or planning sessions. The supervisor thought she was best suited to simple graphics layout and paste-up. Frustrated that her talents were squandered on simple tasks, she applied to the corporate marketing department. The vice-president reviewed her resume and transferred her without interviewing her at length. His concept of the young lady was positive and assigned her to a series of important, key projects. She performed magnificently. A few months later, the original supervisor was in the vice-president’s office admiring the new corporate ad campaign. The project consisted of television and radio commercials, full-page ads for national publications and complete press kits. The supervisor asked, "What kind of a Madison Avenue rain-maker worked this kind of magic?" The VP replied, "This was all completed by that young lady you sent me. That was the best move I ever made!" This is but one example of the dozens of cases I can document where individuals were literally hobbled by low or incorrect expectations. In many instances, the mind set of a co-worker or supervisor can restrict an employee’s ability to become an excellent performer. This cause-and-effect model applies to all aspects of our lives. The neighbor’s young son asked if he could mow my yard. I told him I would talk to his dad first. The father said, "I don’t think he can handle a mower. I never let him near mine. Go ahead if you like." I assured him I would watch his son closely and be certain he could handle the equipment safely. The boy not only knew how to handle the mower, but did such a good job, I asked him to help each week. His dad was amazed. "I never would have guessed," he said. "You should have given him a chance," I suggested. by : Bruce D. Zimmerman, Source Unknown

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You’ll Get Exactly What You Expect

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back to dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching. Diane had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, “Diane, let’s wash the dishes.” But Diane said, “Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.” Then she whispered to him, “Remember the duck?” So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, “I’m sorry but I need Diane to help make supper.” Diane just smiled and said, “Well that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.” She whispered again, “Remember the duck?” So Diane went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Diane’s he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Diane make a slave of you.” Reflection : “Thought for the day and everyday there after: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, debt, fear, haltred, anger, unforgiving, bitterness, etc.) Whatever it is, you need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing, HE has seen your whole life. HE wants you to know that HE loves you and that you are forgiven. HE’s just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives you, but He forgets - It is by God’s Grace and Mercy that we are saved.Go ahead and make the difference in someone’s life today.” Share this with a friend and always remember… God is at the window

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God Is At The Window

A beggar came and sat before me. “I want bread,” he said. “How wise you are,” I assured him. “Bread is what you need. And you have come to the right bakery.” So I pulled my cookbook down from my shelf and began to tell him all I knew about bread. I spoke of flour and wheat, of grain and barley. My knowledge impressed even me as I cited the measurements and recipe. When I looked up, I was surprised to see he wasn’t smiling. “I just want bread,” he said. “How wise you are.” I applauded his choice. “Follow me, and I’ll show you our bakery.” Down the hallowed halls I guided him, pausing to point out the rooms where the dough is prepared and the ovens where the bread is baked. “No one has such facilities. We have bread for every need. But here is the best part,” I proclaimed as I pushed open two swinging doors. “This is our room of inspiration.” I knew he was moved as we stepped into the auditorium full of stained-glass windows. The beggar didn’t speak. I understood his silence. With my arm around his shoulder, I whispered, “It overwhelms me as well.” I then leaped to the podium and struck my favorite pose behind the lectern. “People come from miles to hear me speak. Once a week, my workers gather, and I read to them the recipe from the cookbook of life.” By now the beggar had taken a seat on the front row. I knew what he wanted. "would you like to hear me?" "No," he said, "but I would like some bread." "How wise you are," I replied. And I led him to the front door of the bakery. "What I have to say next is very important," I told him as we stood outside. "Up and down this street you will find many bakeries. But take heed; they dont serve the true bread. I know of one who adds two spoons of salt rather than one. I know of another whose oven is three degrees too hot. They may call it bread," I warned, "but it’s not according to the book." The beggar turned and began walking away. "Don’t you want bread?" I asked him. He stopped, looked back at me, and shrugged, "I guess I lost my appetite." I shook my head and returned to my office. "What a shame," I said to myself. "The world just isn’t hungry for true bread anymore."

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Beggar And Bread

FRESH FISH A fisherman set up a stall to sell fresh fish to tourists visiting a fishing harbour. In front of his new stall, he placed a large board displaying the words, ‘FRESH FISH SOLD HERE’ to attract prospective buyers. Several customers came to buy fish from his stall. One of his customers made a suggestion, “The board is large and readable. But it is too long. The word ‘HERE’ is unnecessary as the board is quite close to the stall. It may be deleted to make the board short and sweet.” The seller found that the suggestion was logical. So he erased the last word. Now the board read, ‘FRESH FISH SOLD’. Later another customer gave a novel suggestion: “The word, ‘SOLD’ is not needed on the board as fishes are displayed here for sale and not for exhibition.” The seller agreed and deleted the word, ‘sold.’ Now the board read ‘FRESH FISH.’ Some time later, a new customer examined the board and gave his opinion, “The word ‘FRESH’ need not be displayed publicly as you sell only fresh fish and not rotten fish. It is an insult to other sellers in this area.” The seller readily agreed and modified the board. It now had only one word, ‘FISH.’ Another person visited the stall after sunset. He said, “The smell of your fish can be felt all around this stall. I had no difficulty to locate it though your board was not clearly visible in the dim light. It is not essential to place the board, ‘FISH’ here.” The seller accepted the suggestion and removed the last letter from the board. The next day, his business was dull. New customers could not identify the stall easily as the board was blank. They went to other stalls in the area. The fisherman’s fate was the result of responding to every suggestion from others. People are lavish in showering advices and critical comments. We must apply our wisdom to identify the relevant, reasonable and acceptable advices. The Holy Bible is the Word of God. We can learn it by prayerful reading and by regular and systematic study. Authoritative books and qualified persons may be consulted to clear our doubts and gain more insight. False interpreters of the Bible are very common. They may visit us and misdirect our faith by misinterpreting the Word of God. They act as the messengers of Satan. We must have correct concepts and convictions about our Faith. Then nobody can mislead us. St. Paul cautions us against false prophets who misinterpret the Holy Scriptures and try to misdirect the faithful believers, “I say this because there are some people who are upsetting you and and trying to change the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to hell! We have said it before, and now I say it again: if anyone preaches to you a gospel that is different from the one you accepted, may he be condemned to hell!” {Galatians 1 : 7-9}. St. Paul advises us, “Put on all the armour that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks” {Ephesians 6 : 11}. St. Peter warns us, “Be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that your fellow- believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings” { 1 Peter 5 : 8, 9}. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India. This is Story No. 153 in this site. Please click ‘Older Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read previous stories and click ‘Newer Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read newer stories in this site. Please click on a word in the ‘Story Themes’ to read stories on that theme.

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