Elaine's Christmas Dream

How true, Darius, many times I wonder why some I know cannot give small things, perhaps only part of themselves, with great love. On the other hand perhaps they have no idea what great love really means.

Maria,

Crying Again,,,LOL How true and also how very sad at the same time.

Kelly

Edited to add: Yeah, what Darius said and my lips are Sealed tight

This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 2:08 PM

Just to reiterate and make it perfectly clear, it was not my intention to publicize this, I passed on the thought because someone suggested it to me. I did not feel it was my decision to make and that's why I asked for feedback. I felt that we would prefer it to remain "within" the family, and that it would not only embarass Elaine, but many of our contributors.

Darius, is your paypal addy the one above? I am such a dufus lately. I am sitting here thinking I am out of stamps and totally forgetting I can print postage on the envelope at usps.com Good grief!

This post has brought me both laughter and tears.

Hey, M5, we all felt the same way, and did NOT feel you were "trying" to get us to publicize it. We know you better than that!

Yes, 'Chele, paypal addy is the same as email addy above!

Ok, now you got me crying. That is so beautiful and so true.

I also like the Footprints in the Sand, that touches me very deeply.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Stevenson, 1936

Every ones quote and thoughts and giving has inspired my faith in people, thank you

Ah Debbie,

Another one that I Love.

Kelly trying not to cry,,,customer coming in,,LOL

The Cab Driver

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away.

But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger,
I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.


So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".

"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".

I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered..

"There are other passengers," I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light.

Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT 'YOU DID, OR WHAT
YOU SAID, ~BUT ~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU
MADE THEM FEEL.

Maria,

Amen to that,,

Darius,

Beautiful story

Kelly

This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 2:41 PM

O.K.,,,,stop that now,,LOL & crying at same time

This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 2:44 PM

darius ~ wow, that's powerful. I always pray to be able to see what I need to see or hear what I need to hear for fear of missing moments like that. I wonder how many people could have been helped or saved in the last minutes of despair if someone had only KNOWN. So I pray to KNOW>

here's one i'm still paying forward:

About eight years ago when things were blue, my brother was expected to arrive from Texas for my birthday, which is in July. On the morning of my birthday, the phone awakened me and I was all excited wondering who would have remembered my birthday, other than my brother who was in flight at the time.

It was a friend who boarded my horse, telling my that my horse was found dead in her stall. My friend was distraught, so I jumped in the car to go up to the barn. I was of course shocked , and extremely sad, but we were also in a 90 plus degree heatwave, and there was a 1600 pound animal in my very upset friend's barn that needed to be buried.

I called all over but couldnt get anyone on the phone, so after leaving messages for everyone in the area who had heavy equipment, I got in the car and started driving to construction sites.

In the afternoon and empty dump truck pulling and empty flat bed passed me, so I followed it. Arriving at the garage, I explained to the young man emerging from the cab (okay at this point the heat and exhaustion tooke their toll so I sobbed to the young man!!) that I needed someone to bury my horse;

Without a word he jumped back in the cab hitched up the trailer with his backhoe and followed me miles to the barn. He unloaded the machine, dug a grave, and actually carefully removed my horse's body.

I went in the house to cry with my friend Her husband came home and supervised. When her husband came in after, I asked how much I owed for the backhoe, figuring it could be $1000 given the construction boom and how busy everyone is.

"Nothing" the backhoe operator had said "I grew up on a farm".

It was an amazing birthday present. It was the biggest kindest thing ever done by a stranger and I will NEVER forget it. I was in absolute need of help at that moment, and this young guy didn't hesitate a second.

Ahhh, Dorothy, what a lovely story, despite what caused it.

dmc,

This one got me,,,again,,,,, As horrible as the reason was that you needed him,,,what an unbelievably kind, caring and generous guy this was. Awesome.

Thanks for sharing that, it had to have been hard to bring back those memories.

Kelly

Hey, Gang...we are now up to about 1% of the paid population on DG contributing!

I don't know the exact paid membership lately because Dave removed the link, but it was about 4,000 a couple f months ago.

This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 5:25 PM

you know, it's not hard because the good so outweighed the bad. The horse's death was a shock, but she had battled Lyme disease, which I had insisted on testing for (they didn't routinely at the time). Even so, she must have had it for years. After hospitalization and IV antibiotics, she came back about 98%. She was happy and active, and the vet believed she just had a sudden heart attack, since the heart can be damaged, and her resumed activity level could have triggered it.
There was not even a scuff in the dirt, she lay like she fell asleep. So although sad i could accept it, and certainly be grateful that I never would have to have her put down!

But for this guy who was maybe 25 at most to drop everything and rush over there without any questions, and then to take nothing even for gas when I was really at his mercy is purely a gift from God. When he was leaving I told him through tears that it was my birthday. It was weird because it was 7 am when I left the house, and 4pm by the time we got the horse buried, and I had been running all day, and yet i know that was my gift. I still can't believe it! It was something I really needed to believe in people again.

This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 5:24 PM

Check paypal .

Darius, I took a visit to paypal, you should have it confirmed.

Debbie

I do. Didn't I email receipt and Thanks?

GO US!!

A Candymaker's Witness

A candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas candy cane. He incorporated several symbols for birth, ministry, and the death of Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus; and hard to symbolize the solid rock, the foundatipn of the church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the presious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus recieved by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as the candy cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear". I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and His great love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.

I'm sure many of you have read this before. Just a reminder to buy the real Christmas candy cane - not the imitations.

ginni


This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 4:28 PM

I like to know why so many posts are deleted ???????????????

dmc,
Aw, poor horse with Lyme's,,,Was good that she came back like she did if even for awhile,,,, Only 25 the guy was? Yep, gifts for sure.

darius,
That's Great!

Kelly

Mine are deleted because they posted three times - somethings sticking on my keyboard!!

As for the missing posts...we were having issues and some items posted three times.

As for my post way up, I depressed myself so I deleted it.

Debbie I shouldn't smile but....you depressed yourself?

Just got this e-mail from Pat Ferguson,,,,

This is a most wonderful thread.

Darius, I will be sending you a small check tomorrow. We are doing a small gift exchange at work and I'm not participating - seemed a little selfish this year. This is a much better gift exchange.

Loretta

DMC, I told you I have been feeling down and out...and after I reread what I already posted....I felt even worse! Then felt pathetic.....so I went in and edited/deleted most of it!

Its been a rough week! LOL Ok a rough November! Today is December 1st...I will survive...soon as someone takes my donated lovehandles....and my outlaws I am still trying to send somewhere! Slow boat to north Bangladesh sounds good. Not that I have anythign against Bangladesh mind you....I just don't know where it is so it must be far away!

Going for hot tea...I need my therapy! LOL

Debbie,

ROFLOL

Debbie ditto what GG said!! Sending your outlaws to the poor of Bangladesh!! Who can't afford to send them back!!

DMC...a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do! And I didn't even think of the benefits they wouldn't be able to send them back! What a bonus!

LOL

Hugs And kisses to all of you for just being YOU!!!! Elaine you have BLESSED all of us!! Kelly and Darius Thank You for reaching us and remembering to love and help thy neigher to find joy in giving to another. Makes my soul Happy ,Happy ,Happy .......If theres anything else I can help with please let me know.... Humbled Sharon

Just sent mine paypal. This is so great....gives me hope for the world!

Darius, Paypal calling.

I have sat here and watched this entire thing snowball into something I've not been able to comprehend. Although I am awed and forever grateful for the love and generosity that *each* of you have shown me ... there has been
a certain amount of burden that has come with this beautiful out pouring of love. I have *not* sent personal replies yet but have many thank you's bubbling over. There has been much posted on this thread, but when I got up this morning this email had been sent to me by a personal friend who knows nothing of how I've been feeling of late. I'd like to share. I think it's very appropriate, although I've seen it before.

Subject: good parable

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large table.

In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin
and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and
take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which
made the holy man's mouth water. They were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well-nourished and plump, laughing and
talking.
The holy man said, "I don't understand."
"It is simple," said the Lord, "it requires just one skill.
You see they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves.
A friend is someone who reaches for your hand, and touches your heart."

Everyone here at DG has done just that ... not just because of this but for the friendships I've made ... for my plants you've shared along with the knowledge. You have humbled me and shown me what Christmas is all about. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Hugs&blessings ... Elaine