Who Are We Talking About?

Two fellows went to the circus and saw the cage containing a tiger pacing back and forth, growling, and baring his teeth.  At that moment, a beautiful lady entered the cage.  The two men held their breath as the tiger prepared to pounce.  Suddenly, the lady pointed  and said, "Sit!" and the tiger sat.  She said, "Crawl!" and the tiger crawled.

The two men continued to watch, amazed at what they were seeing.  The young lady extended her hand toward the tiger and he licked her hand like a kitten.  She leaned over and the tiger gently licked her face.

One man turned to the other and said, "Man, I wouldn't do that for anything in the world!"  

"I would." said the other.

"Are you crazy?  You wouldn't dare do that!"

Then the second man turned to his friend and said, "You bet I will.  Just do something with that tiger for me."

- Steve May, The Story File (Hendrickson Publishers, 2000)

First Words He Heard Was Of Love

For fifty-seven years, Steve Henning of Huntley, Illinois, could not hear music, laughter, or human speech. Even though he lived a full life, he still longed to hear the voices of those he loved.

In the winter of 2001, he learned of a surgical procedure that would allow sound waves to bypass the nonfunctioning part of his ear and travel directly to the auditory nerve. On January 30, he was operated on. Because the implanted device could not be activated until the swelling in the ear decreased, doctors and Steve didn’t know for six weeks if the operation was successful.

Finally, the six weeks was up. As Steve waited nervously, the audiologist programmed the cochlear implant. Then he invited Steve’s wife to say something. Pat Henning leaned toward her husband and gently said, “I love you.” Able to hear for the first time in six decades, Steve’s face broke into a smile. The first words he heard were of love.

 — Greg Asimakoupoulos, “Hearing God’s Word of Love,” PreachingToday.com

The Right Attitude In Playing

Witts Springs, Arkansas, population one hundred, has a hard time producing athletes from a student body of forty-one in grades seven to twelve. But its athletes take team play to a new level.

In a basketball game with Leslie School, Witts Springs trailed by more than thirty points with just two minutes to go. The fans began to chant, “Put in Scotty.” “Scot-TEE! Scot-TEE!” Coach Nash waved Scotty Harmon in.

Harmon, who has cerebral palsy, took a pass on the perimeter and flung the ball toward the hoop. He missed. His teammates scrambled for the rebound and gave Scotty a second chance. He missed again, which started another fight for the ball.

“The kids know when Scotty’s in there, their game is over,” Coach Nash said. “They’re doing it for him. The atmosphere changes. If they’re worn out, they’ll break their necks to get that rebound. Our kids will go above everybody to get the ball to Scotty.”

On his fourth try, Harmon sunk a three-pointer. Fans on both sides of the gym cheered wildly. The scoreboard showed Leslie, 89; Witts Springs, 58, but everybody left a winner.

 — Larry Pillow, Arkansas Democrat Gazette (February 7, 1999)

A Taste Of His Own Medicine

A cigar smoker bought several hundred expensive cigars and had them insured against fire.  After he'd smoked them all, he filed a claim, pointing out that the cigars had, in fact, been destroyed by fire.

The insurance company refused to pay, and then the man sued.  The judge ruled that because the insurance company had agreed to insure the cigars against fire, it was legally responsible.

The company had no choice but to pay the claim.  Then, when the man accepted the money, the company had him arrested for arson.

- submitted by Don Maddox to Parables, Etc. (October 1996)

Kindness Reciprocated Unexpectedly

Many years ago two young men were working their way through Stanford University.  At one point their money was almost gone, so they decided to engage the great pianist Paderewski for a concert and use the profits for board and tuition.  Paderewski's manager asked for a guarantee of two thousand dollars.

The students worked hard to promote the concert, but they came up four hundred dollars short.  After the performance, they went to the musician, gave him all the money they had raised, and promised to pay the four hundered dollars as soon as they could.  It appeared that their college days were over.  "No, boys, that won't do," said the pianist.  "Take out of this sixteen hundred dollars all your expenses, and keep for each of you 10 percent of all the balance for your work.  Let me have the rest."

Years passed.  Paderewski became premier of Poland following World War I.  Thousand of his countrymen were starving.  Only one man could help--the head of the U.S. Food and Relief Bureau.  Paderewski's appeal to him brought thousands of tons of food.  Later he met the American statesman to thank him.  "That's all right," replied Herbert Hoover.  "Besides, you don't remember, but you helped me once when I was a student in college."

- Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker's Quote Book (Christian Literature Crusade, 1997)

Love That Will Not Let Me Go

At a young age, George Matheson was told he was losing what little poor eyesight he had.  He was only fifteen then.  But despite his situation, Matheson continued straightaway with his plans to enroll in the University of Glasgow.  He later graduated at the age of nineteen.  He then pursued graduate studies in theology for Christian ministry.  But it was during this time that he did become blind.  His loving sisters supported him and joined ranks beside him as he continued with his graduate studies.  They even learned Greek and Hebrew to assist him in his theological education.  He faithfully pressed on.

But he was devestated when his fiancée broke off their engagement and returned his ring because she refused to be married to a blind man.  Somehow, Matheson still carried the pain of rejection.  He never married.  

Years passed and he became a well-loved pastor in Scotland.  When his sister came to him one day and announced her engagement, he rejoiced with her, but his mind went back to his own heartache.  He comforted himself by thinking of God and His love.  He contemplated once again that God's love is never limited, never conditional, never withdrawn, and never uncertain.  Out of this experience he wrote the hymn, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.

O love that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths it flow

May richer, fuller be.

Assumptions Can Be Dangerous

The photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire.  Smoke at the scene hampered him, and he asked his home office to hire a plane.  Arrangements were made, and he was told to go at once to a neary airport, where the plane would be waiting.

When he arrived at the airport, a plane was warming up near the runway.  He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let's go!  Let's go!"  The pilot swung the plane into the wind, and they soon were in the air.

"Fly over the north side of the fire," yelled the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes."

"Why?" asked the pilot.

"Because I'm going to take pictures," cried the photographer.  "I'm a photographer and photographers take pictures!"

After a pause the pilot said, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?"

- Bits & Pieces (The Economics Press, Inc., 1996)