A Hungarian refugee -- to protect his privacy we'll call him Joseph
Kudar. Kudar was a successful young lawyer in Hungary before the
uprisings in that country in 1956. A strong believer in freedom for his
country, he fought Soviet tanks in the streets of Budapest with his
friends. When the uprising failed, he was forced to flee the country.
When Kudar arrived in the U.S. he had no money, no job, no friends. He
was, however, well educated; he spoke and wrote several languages,
including English. For several months he tried to get a job in a law
office, but because of his lack of familiarity with American law, he
received only polite refusals.
Finally, it occurred to him that with his knowledge of language he might
be able to get a job with an import-export company. He selected one such
company and wrote a letter to the owner.
Two weeks later he received an answer, but was hardly prepared for the
vindictiveness of the man's reply. Among other things, it said that even
if they did need someone, they wouldn't hire him because he couldn't
even write good English.
Crushed, Kudar's hurt quickly turned to anger. What right did this rude,
arrogant man have to tell him he couldn't write the language! The man
was obviously crude and uneducated -- his letter was chock-full of
grammatical errors!
Kudar sat down and, in the white heat of anger, wrote a scathing reply,
calculated to rip the man to shreds. When he'd finished, however, as he
was reading it over, his anger began to drain away. Then he remembered
the biblical admonition, "A soft answer turned away wrath."
No, he wouldn't mail the letter. Maybe the man was right. English was
not his native tongue. Maybe he did need further study in it. Possibly
this man had done him a favor by making him realize he did need to work
harder on perfecting his English.
Kudar tore up the letter and wrote another. This time he apologized for
the previous letter, explained his situation, and thanked the man for
pointing out his need for further study.
Two days later, he received a phone call inviting him to New York for an
interview. A week later, he went to work for them as a correspondent.
Later, Joseph Kudar became vice president and executive officer of the
company, destined to succeed the man he had hated and sought revenge
against for a fleeting moment -- and then resisted.
source: http://www.sermons.org/illustrations/r/revenge.htm
Why He Left The Bus Not Caring About His Ticket
I did not come from a rich home but from a poor one. My parents were
just orphan children. The only thing they were able to do was to try to
supply us with our daily bread and help us so that we might be able to
go through school and get a bit of education. That was a hard task.
My father worked far away from Jerusalem and once a month he would be
able to visit our home. Every time he came he would have only about four
Palestinian pounds, equal to about twelve dollars in those days. He
would give some to the grocer, some to the baker, and some here and
there, and then go back to work again. That is all we were able to see
our father, just once a month.
One day as we four hungry boys came home from school, we came to our
mother and asked for a piece of bread, but mother was not able to give
us any bread. She asked us to go and play. We continued playing until
night came. About 7:00 o'clock we came back again, wondering why mother
was sad. We said, "Mother, we are hungry." She would not say anything to
us.
She washed our hands, feet and faces, and then said, "Come on, children,
come and go to bed now. Pray your prayers and go to sleep." But we said,
"Mother, we want bread. We are hungry. What is the matter with you?" She
would not answer us but made us all kneel and pray, and then said,
"Goodnight, children." She lowered the gas light so that we might go to
sleep.
The four of us began to weep, each looking to the others with tears
rolling down his cheeks. We were hungry and we wanted bread. Mother
would not give us bread. Why was mother so cruel? Had we done anything
wrong that she would not give us bread? With tears in our eyes we
finally went to sleep.
At 2: 00 o'clock in the morning I awoke, crying, "Mother, mother." She
came close to me and said, "What do you want, Samuel?" I said, "Mother,
I cannot sleep. I want bread." I could notice, although the gas light
was low, bright tears rolling down her cheeks.
She went away and brought me a cup of water and said,
"Samuel, drink water." I said, "Mother, it is not water I want. It is
bread I want."When I noticed her weeping I stopped my tears, wondering
what was the matter. I drank the water and went to sleep again.
When morning came we all got up hungry and with tears still in our eyes.
We did not know what to do, and mother did not dare tell anybody that we
needed bread. Then she broke into tears and said, "Children, pray. We do
not have bread at home. We do not know what to do. We do not know when
our father will come back, and we do not have bread."
We said, "What are we going to do? We cannot go to school if you do not
give us bread." She said, "Come, let us pray to the Father in Heaven."
We sat around the table. All five of us began to weep and cry for bread.
We said, "Father, send us bread. Father, send us bread." While we were
praying -- thank God for His miraculous hand - there was a knock at the
door.
The moment the knock came my mother said, "Keep quiet, children. Do not
make any noise. Do not let anyone know what we are praying and what our
need is. Let only God know about this."
She wiped her tears and went to the door. When she opened it a man came
in. He was a dear believer with a basket in his hand full of bread and
cheese. When we saw the basket, he turned to us and said, "Children,
take. This is bread. Your Father sent it." We all ran to that basket. I
took a loaf in my hand, cut it, and began to eat it as a hungry child. I
was so glad that father had sent us bread.
Only after some years had passed did I find that it was not my father. I
went to that believer and said, "My dear brother, I want you to tell me
what made you come to our home and give us that bread?"
He said, "Samuel, I bought all those things to take to Bethlehem to my
family. I got my ticket and sat waiting for the bus to move. A Voice
within me said, 'Rise. Take all that you have bought to the family down
in the Valley of Kidron and give it to them.' I said, 'No, it is late. I
must get home and give this to my family and come back to my business.'
But the Voice continued, saying, 'Rise. Take it to that family.' I said,
'But they do not need this bread.' But the Voice within me kept saying,
'You rise and go. They need this bread.'" He continued, "I could not
disobey that Voice. I got up and left the bus, not caring about the
ticket I had purchased. I walked down to the Valley of Kidron and before
knocking I put my ears to the door and could hear hungry children crying
and praying, 'Father, send us bread.'
The moment I heard that I could wait no longer. I knocked at the door
and when it was opened I said, 'Your Father sent this bread. Take it.' I
gave everything I had."While he was telling me that story I was
rejoicing.
How wonderful is the God in whom we believe. He is the God of Elijah,
supplying our every need today. He is a great God! I praise the Lord
that I believe in such a supreme Being who is "able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us." "My God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
just orphan children. The only thing they were able to do was to try to
supply us with our daily bread and help us so that we might be able to
go through school and get a bit of education. That was a hard task.
My father worked far away from Jerusalem and once a month he would be
able to visit our home. Every time he came he would have only about four
Palestinian pounds, equal to about twelve dollars in those days. He
would give some to the grocer, some to the baker, and some here and
there, and then go back to work again. That is all we were able to see
our father, just once a month.
One day as we four hungry boys came home from school, we came to our
mother and asked for a piece of bread, but mother was not able to give
us any bread. She asked us to go and play. We continued playing until
night came. About 7:00 o'clock we came back again, wondering why mother
was sad. We said, "Mother, we are hungry." She would not say anything to
us.
She washed our hands, feet and faces, and then said, "Come on, children,
come and go to bed now. Pray your prayers and go to sleep." But we said,
"Mother, we want bread. We are hungry. What is the matter with you?" She
would not answer us but made us all kneel and pray, and then said,
"Goodnight, children." She lowered the gas light so that we might go to
sleep.
The four of us began to weep, each looking to the others with tears
rolling down his cheeks. We were hungry and we wanted bread. Mother
would not give us bread. Why was mother so cruel? Had we done anything
wrong that she would not give us bread? With tears in our eyes we
finally went to sleep.
At 2: 00 o'clock in the morning I awoke, crying, "Mother, mother." She
came close to me and said, "What do you want, Samuel?" I said, "Mother,
I cannot sleep. I want bread." I could notice, although the gas light
was low, bright tears rolling down her cheeks.
She went away and brought me a cup of water and said,
"Samuel, drink water." I said, "Mother, it is not water I want. It is
bread I want."When I noticed her weeping I stopped my tears, wondering
what was the matter. I drank the water and went to sleep again.
When morning came we all got up hungry and with tears still in our eyes.
We did not know what to do, and mother did not dare tell anybody that we
needed bread. Then she broke into tears and said, "Children, pray. We do
not have bread at home. We do not know what to do. We do not know when
our father will come back, and we do not have bread."
We said, "What are we going to do? We cannot go to school if you do not
give us bread." She said, "Come, let us pray to the Father in Heaven."
We sat around the table. All five of us began to weep and cry for bread.
We said, "Father, send us bread. Father, send us bread." While we were
praying -- thank God for His miraculous hand - there was a knock at the
door.
The moment the knock came my mother said, "Keep quiet, children. Do not
make any noise. Do not let anyone know what we are praying and what our
need is. Let only God know about this."
She wiped her tears and went to the door. When she opened it a man came
in. He was a dear believer with a basket in his hand full of bread and
cheese. When we saw the basket, he turned to us and said, "Children,
take. This is bread. Your Father sent it." We all ran to that basket. I
took a loaf in my hand, cut it, and began to eat it as a hungry child. I
was so glad that father had sent us bread.
Only after some years had passed did I find that it was not my father. I
went to that believer and said, "My dear brother, I want you to tell me
what made you come to our home and give us that bread?"
He said, "Samuel, I bought all those things to take to Bethlehem to my
family. I got my ticket and sat waiting for the bus to move. A Voice
within me said, 'Rise. Take all that you have bought to the family down
in the Valley of Kidron and give it to them.' I said, 'No, it is late. I
must get home and give this to my family and come back to my business.'
But the Voice continued, saying, 'Rise. Take it to that family.' I said,
'But they do not need this bread.' But the Voice within me kept saying,
'You rise and go. They need this bread.'" He continued, "I could not
disobey that Voice. I got up and left the bus, not caring about the
ticket I had purchased. I walked down to the Valley of Kidron and before
knocking I put my ears to the door and could hear hungry children crying
and praying, 'Father, send us bread.'
The moment I heard that I could wait no longer. I knocked at the door
and when it was opened I said, 'Your Father sent this bread. Take it.' I
gave everything I had."While he was telling me that story I was
rejoicing.
How wonderful is the God in whom we believe. He is the God of Elijah,
supplying our every need today. He is a great God! I praise the Lord
that I believe in such a supreme Being who is "able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us." "My God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
James Reddick: Sacrifice of a father
It was the most natural thing for an eastern shepherd to risk his life
in defense of his flock. The true shepherd never hesitated to risk and
even to lay down his life for the sheep.
One Saturday a dentist called James Reddick decided to teach
his twelve year old daughter and eleven year old son the joy of mountain
walking. He took them up on to Washington's Mount Rainier. All was going
well and they were having a great time, until a sudden storm blew up
that battered them with hurricane force winds and thick wet sheets of
snow. A blinding white-out made it impossible to see or move on the
steep slopes.
So James laboriously dug an oblong trench with his small aluminian mess
kit, then he tucked his children into sleeping bags away from the
entrance. He covered the entrance with tarpaulin which just kept blowing
away, exposing the trench to the swirling snow outside.
Reddick discovered that the only way to hold down the tarpaulin was to
lie directly across the opening, using his own body weight. His body
protected his son and daughter from the howling wind.
Two days passed before rescuers spotted the corner of a rucksack
protruding from the deep snow. They rushed to the site hoping that the
snow covered mound would contain their three missing mountaineers.
Inside they found Sharon and David Reddick very much alive, but the cold
and stiff body of their father was laid against one wall of the snow
cave. He had taken the "cold spot" by using his own body as the outer
wall.
James Reddick made an amazing decision of love when he decided to
sacrifice of his life so that his children could live.
in defense of his flock. The true shepherd never hesitated to risk and
even to lay down his life for the sheep.
One Saturday a dentist called James Reddick decided to teach
his twelve year old daughter and eleven year old son the joy of mountain
walking. He took them up on to Washington's Mount Rainier. All was going
well and they were having a great time, until a sudden storm blew up
that battered them with hurricane force winds and thick wet sheets of
snow. A blinding white-out made it impossible to see or move on the
steep slopes.
So James laboriously dug an oblong trench with his small aluminian mess
kit, then he tucked his children into sleeping bags away from the
entrance. He covered the entrance with tarpaulin which just kept blowing
away, exposing the trench to the swirling snow outside.
Reddick discovered that the only way to hold down the tarpaulin was to
lie directly across the opening, using his own body weight. His body
protected his son and daughter from the howling wind.
Two days passed before rescuers spotted the corner of a rucksack
protruding from the deep snow. They rushed to the site hoping that the
snow covered mound would contain their three missing mountaineers.
Inside they found Sharon and David Reddick very much alive, but the cold
and stiff body of their father was laid against one wall of the snow
cave. He had taken the "cold spot" by using his own body as the outer
wall.
James Reddick made an amazing decision of love when he decided to
sacrifice of his life so that his children could live.
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