a good story to start 2007

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THIS IS REALLY POWERFUL AND MAKES ONE THINK..A FEW YEARS AGO A GROUP OF SALESMEN WENT TO A REGIONAL SALES CONVENTION IN CHICAGO. THEY HAD ASSURED THEIR WIVES THEY WOULD BE HOME IN PLENTY OF TIME FOR FRIDAY NIGHT'S DINNER. IN THEIR RUSH WITH TICKETS AND BRIEFCASES, ONE OF THESE SALESMEN INADVERTENTLY KICKED OVER A TABLE HOLDING A DISPLAY OF APPLES. APPLES FLEW EVERYWHERE.WITHOUT STOPPING OR LOOKING BACK THEY ALL MANAGED TO REACH THE PLANE IN TIME FOR THEIR NEARLY MISSED BOARDING. ALL BUT ONE!!!! HE PAUSED, TOOK A DEEP BREATH, GOT IN TOUCH WITH HIS FEELINGS, AND EXPERIENCED A TWINGE OF COMPASSION FOR THE GIRL WHOSE APPLE STAND HAD BEEN OVERTURNED. HE TOLD BUDDIES TO GO ON WITHOUT HIM, WAVED GOODBYE, TOLD ONE OF THEM TO CALL HIS WIFE WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THEIR HOME DESTINATION AND EXPLAIN HIS TAKING A LATER FLIGHT..THEN HE RETURNED TO THE TERMINAL WHERE THE APPLES WERE ALL OVER THE TERMINAL FLOOR. HE WAS GLAD HE DID. THE 16 YEAR OLD GIRL WAS TOTALLY BLIND.. SHE WAS SOFTLY CRYING, TEARS RUNNING DOWN HER CHEEKS IN FRUSTRATION AND AT THE SAME TIME HELPLESSLY GROPING FOR HER SPILLED PRODUCE AS THE CROWD SWIRLED ABOUT HER NO ONE STOPPING AND NO ONE TO CARE FOR HER PLIGHT. THE SALESMEN KNELT ON THE FLOOR WITH HER, GATHERED UP THE APPLES, PUT THEM BACK ON THE DISPLAY AND HELPED ORGANIZE HER DISPLAY.. AS HE DID THIS HE NOTICED MANY OF THEM HAD BECOME BATTERED AND BRUISED; THESE HE SET ASIDE IN ANOTHER BASKET. WHEN HE HAD FINISHED, HE PULLED HIS WALLET OUT AND SAID TO THE GIRL "HERE PLEASE TAKE THIS $40 FOR THE DAMAGE WE DID. ARE YOU OKAY?" SHE NODDED THROUGH HER TEARS. HE CONTINUED ON WITH "I HOPE WE DIDN'T SPOIL YOUR DAY TOO BADILY." AS THE SALESMEN STARTED TO WALK AWAY, THE BEWILDERED BLIND GIRL CALLED OUT TO HIM, "MISTER.." hE PAUSED AND TURNED TO LOOK INTO THOSE BLIND EYES, SHE CONTINUED WITH " ARE YOU JESUS?" HE STOPPED IN MID STRIDE AND HE WONDERED. THEN HE SLOWLY MADE HIS WAY TO CATCH THE LATER FLIGHT WITH THAT QUESTION BURNING AND BOUNCING ABOUT HIS SOUL. "ARE YOU JESUS?" DO PEOPLE MISTAKE YOU FOR JESUS? THAT'S OUR DESTINY, IS IT NOT? TO BE SO MUCH LIKE JESUS THAT PEOPLE CAN NOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE AS WE LIVE AND INTERACT WITH A WORLD THAT IS BLIND TO HIS LOVE,LIFE AND GRACE. IF WE CLAIM TO KNOW HIM WE SHOULD LIVE, WALK AND ACT AS HE WOULD. KNOWING HIM IS MORE THAN QUOTING SCRIPTURE AND GOING TO CHURCH. IT'S ACTUALLY LIVING THE WORD AS LIFE UNFOLDS DAY TO DAY. (FROM EXPERIENCE I KNOW IT IS DAY TO DAY BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE EASIEST THING TO DO, BUT THINGS IN LIFE THAT ARE WORTH ANYTHING REQUIRE EFFORT AND COMMITMENT.) YOU ARE THE APPLE OF HIS EYE, EVEN THOUGH WE TOO HAVE BEEN BRUISED BY A FALL. HE STOPPED WHAT HE WAS DOING AND PICKED YOU AND ME UP ON A HILL CALLED CALVARY AND PAID IN FULL FOR OUR DAMAGED FRUIT.. that was so cute and it reminds us what we forget in life.