This is Good

There are moments in life when we go through tough problems and we thinkthat God has either forgotten us or forsaken us. Neither of these two assumptions are true because God promises that He would never leave us norforsake us and He says that all things will work together for good becausewe both love Him and are called according to His purposes. Never get discouraged when tough times come, but rather lift up your faith and hopeto the Lord and know that He will bring good out of every bad situation. Continually trust the Lord and never doubt His abilities to turn your situation around for good. (Hebrews 13:5-6) (Romans 8:28)

I hope you will be encouraged and blessed by this story that shows how Godis able to turn all things around for good even when it seems to be impossible.

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THIS IS GOOD

The story is told of a king who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred inhis life (positive or negative) and remarking, “This is good!”

One day the king and his friend were on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. In preparing one of the guns,the friend had apparently done something wrong, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.

Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, “This is good!” To which the king replied, “No, this is Not good!” and proceeded to send hisfriend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in a dangerous area. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to it. As they approached to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So after untying the king, they sent him on his way.

As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumband felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right,” he said, “It was goodthat my thumb was blown off.” And he proceeded to tell the friend all thathad just happened. “And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for solong. It was bad for me to do this.”

“No,” his friend replied, “This is good!”

“What do you mean, 'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?”

“If I had Not been in jail, I would have been with you.”

Author Unknown

The Perfect Heart

originally sent by Priya Sher @ Paulo Coelho Blog

A young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it.

But an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said,

“Your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.”

The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly but full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in … but they didn’t fit quite right and there were several jagged edges.

The young man looked at the old man’s heart and laughed.“You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine … mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”

” “Yes,” said the old man, “Yours is perfect looking … but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love….. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them … and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges.

“ Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away … and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges … giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too … and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man.

The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart.

It fit …. but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since lovefrom the old man’s heart flowed into his.