Christian Reflection and Prayer

A STORY ABOUT HUMILITY AND PRIDE
FROM ROBERT SCHULLER SR. 10/12/08

Many years ago, a very humble looking
couple went to see the President of Harvard
(I don't remember his name, but I know the
story well). They had traveled a long way
to get there. The secretary asked them if
they had an appointment, and they said
they didn't but wanted to see the president
anyway.

The woman wore a plain gingham dress
and the man one of those ill-fitting suits that
farmers sometimes wear. They definitely
were not Ivy League. They didn't pass the
cultural test at all. And so the secretary said,
"I'm so sorry, he doesn't have time
today. He's in meetings all day." They said,
"Well, we'll just wait."

And they waited hour after hour. The secretary
hoped they would get tired and leave. But they
didn't, and as time wore on until the end of the
day, the president eventually came out of his
office. He was stuck with them.

The woman in the gingham dress approached
him and said, "Mr. President, we just want to
talk to you for a minute. We had a son and he
went to Harvard for one year and he just loved
this school, but he died and we want to leave
a memorial to him on your campus." And the
president said, "That's nice, but if we had a
memorial on this campus for every student
who attended school here and died, we probably
would look like a cemetery. We just don't do that."

Then she smoothed out her wrinkled dress
and said, "We don't want a statue, we just
wanted to build a building and have our son's
name on it."

And the president said to the couple who
appeared by their dress to be poor farmers,
"You must know, buildings are very expensive.
All the buildings in this Harvard campus
(and this was a long time ago) cost us seven
and a half million dollars."

The woman then turned to her husband
and said, "Honey, if that's all it costs,
let's build our own university." And they
turned to the president and said, "Goodbye sir."
They returned to California and soon built a
university to carry the name of their son -
Stanford University.

Wow!

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 (New International Version)
14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle,
encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,
but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Reflection:

You know it's really hard to deal with people who are
trying our patience. I have discovered that I can
relate and cope with people who make me sad,
who can make me angry, who even make me feel
a little less than good. But having people around me
who are trying my patience is difficult. Do you have
someone like that in your life, I know I do. When
someone is in the wrong, we have to struggle with
our desire to answer wrong with wrong. This is
actually the easiest thing for us to do. But we
have received mercy from God, and He wants us
to pass it on. That's right pass it on. Be patient
with everyone, make sure that nobody pays back
wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each
other and to everyone else. IN OTHER WORDS
PASS IT ON.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk
who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother
who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home
to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry
and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Give me patience Oh Lord
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed,
disinterested young man who can’t make change
correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student,
balancing his apprehension over final exams with
his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
Give me patience Oh Lord
Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging
for money in the same spot every day
(who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions
that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
Give me patience Oh Lord
Help us to remember that the old couple walking
annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking
our shopping progress are savoring this moment,
knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got
back last week, this will be the last year that they
go shopping together.
Give me patience Oh Lord
Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the
gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not
enough to share that love with those we hold dear.
Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us,
but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick
to forgive, show patience, empathy and love
GIVE ME LOVE OH LORD! In Jesus Name Amen.

Scripture:

Genesis 6:11-22 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and
was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the
earth had become, for all the people on earth had
corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah,
"I am going to put an end to all people, for the
earth is filled with violence because of them.
I am surely going to destroy both them and
the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of
cypress [a] wood; make rooms in it and coat
it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you
are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long,
75 feet wide and 45 feet high. [b] 16 Make a
roof for it and finish [c] the ark to within 18 inches
[d] of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark
and make lower, middle and upper decks.
17 I am going to bring flood waters on the
earth to destroy all life under the heavens,
every creature that has the breath of life in it.
Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will
establish my covenant with you, and you will
enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife
and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to
bring into the ark two of all living creatures,
male and female, to keep them alive with you.
20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of
animal and of every kind of creature that moves
along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.
21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be
eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Reflection:

I got to admit it, after reading Genesis 6:11-22, I wish
I was Noah. This beautiful man did everything God
commanded. You know, I wish I did that. Wouldn't
it be great to hit a bulls eye every time you had to make a
decision. Wouldn't be great to get our God's
approval on every decision. I mean look at Noah.
He worked, and worked, on that ark, while all the time
being scoffed and laughed at by his neighbors. And
through it all, Noah's sole concern was God. Why
can't I be more like that? My life is pulled in so many
different directions that I don't have enough time for
my God. What does that say about me? I have to
slow down, give my time to God and try to do
everything God commands. It's hard but I can do
it. Can You?

Prayer:

I love you God, and I need to slow down. I need
your help in making my priorities and decisions.
I need to make you my priority. Oh God give me
strength to do what you command. In Christ's
Holy Name Amen.