02/17/2010 in Inspirational Stories
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. One time I arrived in the middle of the night for a pick up at a building that 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 1940s 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.
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02/17/2010 in Inspirational Stories
During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river that had left its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not a part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and with much difficulty, just barely making it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side. As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, “Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of?”
The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. He responded by saying, “all I know is that on some of their faces was written the word “No,” and on some of them “Yes.” His was a “YES” face.
Are you a confident positive person who displays a “Yes” face? How many people have ask you for help lately?
02/17/2010 in Inspirational Stories
John Mortimer, an English lawyer who became a play-wright-novelist and created the “Rumpole” series for the British Broadcasting System, called his autobiography Clinging to the Wreckage. The title came to him one day when he was lunching with a gray-bearded sailor. He had asked the yachtsman if sailing on the English Channel was not a dangerous sport. “Not dangerous at all,” said the man, “provided you don’t learn to swim.” Mortimer ask what he could mean by that. “When you’re in a spot of trouble,” he explained, “if you can swim, you try to strike out for the shore. You invariably drown. As I can’t swim I cling to the wreckage and they send a helicopter out for me. That’s my tip, if you ever find yourself in trouble, cling to the wreckage.”
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02/17/2010 in Inspirational Stories
Some of the greatest success stories of history have followed a word of encouragement or an act of confidence by a loved one or a trusting friend.
Had it not been for his confident wife, Sophia, we might not have listed among the great names of literature the name of Nathaniel Hawthorne. When Nathaniel, a heartbroken man, went home to tell his wife that he was a failure and had been fired from his job in a customhouse, she surprised him with an exclamation of joy. “Now,” she said triumphantly, “you can write your book!” “Yes,” replied the man, with sagging confidence, “and what shall we live on while I am writing it?”
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02/17/2010 in Inspirational Stories
Mary Hollingsworth in her book writes about the noted director of biblical epics, Cecil B. DeMille. When they began working on the movie Ben Hur, DeMille talked to Charlton Heston–the star of the movie–about the all-important chariot race at the end. He decided Heston should actually learn to drive the chariot himself, rather than just using a stunt double. Heston agreed to take chariot-driving lessons to make the movie as authentic as possible.
Learning to drive a chariot with horses four abreast, however, was no small matter. After extensive work and days of practice, Heston returned to the movie set and reported to DeMille.
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02/17/2010 in Inspirational Stories
There’s a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante, one of the great entertainers of a generation ago. He was asked to be a part of a show for World War II veterans. He told them his schedule was very busy and he could afford only a few minutes, but if they wouldn’t mind his doing one short monologue and immediately leaving for his next appointment, he would come. Of course, the show’s director agreed happily. But when Jimmy got on stage, something interesting happened. He went through the short monologue and then stayed. The applause grew louder and louder and he kept staying. Pretty soon, he had been on stage fifteen, twenty, then thirty minutes. Finally he took a last bow and left the stage. Backstage someone stopped him and said, “I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?”
Jimmy answered, “I did have to go, but I can show you the reason I stayed. You can see for yourself if you’ll look down on the front row.” In the front row were two men, each of whom had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that’s exactly what they were doing, loudly and cheerfully.”
Better known as Son of a Preacher, Ron started the first Christian Fellowship Church in Harlingen, Texas in 1982 and presently serves as a counselor, consultant and apostolic overseer to multiple churches and ministries. He travels nationally and internationally motivating and challenging people to be effective in their call and ministry to their local church, their community, and the marketplace.
Philip serves Christian Fellowship International by helping oversee the network of CFI churches, as well as pastoring Christian Fellowship Church McAllen, Texas. He graduated from Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas in 1991, and then served in the Army for three years. Philip is a very gifted musician, worship leader and communicator of the Word. He and his wife Trish have two daughters, Lauren and Lenzy. Click to email Philip. 
