SOWING & REAPING - IT COMES AROUND
By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
The following
article came to me
recently and I
contended that I
should pass it on.
It has been slightly
edited and a
conclusion added.
One day a teacher
asked her students
to list the names of
the other students
in the room on two
sheets of paper,
leaving a space
between each name.
Then she told them
to think of the
nicest thing they
could say about each
of their classmates
and write it down.
It took the
remainder of the
class period to
finish their
assignment, and as
the students left
the room, each one
handed in the
papers.
That Saturday, the
teacher wrote down
the name of each
student on a
separate sheet of
paper, and listed
what everyone else
had said about that
individual.
On Monday she gave
each student his or
her list. Before
long, the entire
class was smiling.
"Really?" she heard
whispered. "I never
knew that I meant
anything to anyone!"
and, "I didn't know
others liked me so
much," were most of
the comments.
No one ever
mentioned those
papers in class
again. She never
knew if they
discussed them after
class or with their
parents, but it
didn't matter. The
exercise had
accomplished its
purpose. The
students were happy
with themselves and
one another. That
group of students
moved on.
Several years later,
one of the students
was killed in Viet
Nam and his teacher
attended the funeral
of that special
student. She had
never seen a
serviceman in a
military coffin
before. He looked so
handsome, so mature.
The church was
packed with his
friends. One by one
those who loved him
took a last walk by
the coffin. The
teacher was the last
one to bless the
coffin.
As she stood there,
one of the soldiers
who acted as
pallbearer came up
to her. "Were you
Mark's math
teacher?" he asked.
She nodded: "yes."
Then he said: "Mark
talked about you a
lot."
After the funeral,
most of Mark's
former classmates
went together to a
luncheon. Mark's
mother and father
were there,
obviously waiting to
speak with his
teacher. "We want to
show you something,"
his father said,
taking a wallet out
of his pocket. "They
found this on Mark
when he was killed.
We thought you might
recognize it."
Opening the
billfold, he
carefully removed
two worn pieces of
notebook paper that
had obviously been
taped, folded and
refolded many times.
The teacher
(Continued)
(Continued)
knew without looking
that the papers were
the ones on which
she had listed
all the good things
each of Mark's
classmates had said
about him.
"Thank you so much
for doing that,"
Mark's mother said.
"As you can see,
Mark treasured it."
All of Mark's former
classmates started
to gather around.
Charlie smiled
rather sheepishly
and said, "I still
have my list. It's
in the top drawer of
my desk at home."
Chuck's wife said,
"Chuck asked me to
put his in our
wedding album." "I
have mine too,"
Marilyn said. "It's
in my diary."
Then Vicki, another
classmate, reached
into her pocketbook,
took out her wallet
and showed her worn
and frazzled list to
the group. "I carry
this with me at all
times," Vicki said
and without batting
an eyelash, she
continued: "I think
we all saved our
lists."
That's when the
teacher finally sat
down and cried. She
cried for Mark and
for all his friends
who would never see
him again.
The density of
people in society is
so thick that we
forget that life
will end one day.
And we don't know
when that one day
will be. So please,
tell the people you
love and care for,
that they are
special and
important. Tell
them, before it is
too late.
And One Way To
Accomplish This is
to send this message
on. If you do not
send it, you will
have once again,
passed up the
wonderful
opportunity to do
something nice and
beautiful. If you've
received this, it is
because someone
cares for you and it
means there is
probably at least
someone for whom you
care.
If you're "too busy"
to take those few
minutes right now to
send this message
on, would this be
the VERY first time
you didn't do that
little thing that
would make a
difference in your
relationships? The
more people that you
give this to, the
better you'll be at
reaching out to
those you care
about.
Remember, you reap
what you sow. What
you put into the
lives of others
comes back into your
own. (Gal. 6:7)
Plainly, don’t get
short changed. Let’s
be ready to meet our
Maker. The Bible (in
Acts) teaches that
to avoid hell and
gain heaven - one
must:
1) Believe In Jesus
As Savior (16:31) 2)
Repent Of Sins
(17:30)
3) Confess Christ
Audibly (8:37) 4) Be
Baptized In Water
(2:38)
5) Live A Christian
Life (14:22) 6) Be
Active In the Church
(2:47)
KYOWVA Evangelistic
Association
1541 S. 7th Street *
Ironton, OH 45638
Web Page:
www.kyowva.com *
Free Bible Course
Upon Request