(10.20.21–I'm A People –1 Peter 3: 3-4)
My friend, may I ask you a question? Are you able to look at their selves in the mirror and see nothing except "the pretty one?
My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I'm M. Clifford Brunner.
Here's a story: After 6 hours the puppies started to appear. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5," I counted to myself and then I noticed a 6th puppy had been born. I reached over and picked it up. My heart sank; it had a cleft palate. However, that didn't stop me from feeding the puppy by hand. The 5th week I placed an ad in the newspaper, and within a week we had taken deposits on all of the pups, except the one with the deformity. However, an old retired schoolteacher, who lived across the street from us had read in the paper that we had puppies for sale and wondered if she might buy one from us for her grandson. I told her we did have the little pup with the cleft palate left. They came over that evening. Just at that moment the small puppy began to yelp. "My puppy!" yelled the little boy as he ran out from behind his grandmother. I just about fell over when I saw he also had a cleft palate. He ran past me down the hallway to where the puppy was. When the three of us made it to the bedroom, the small boy was holding the puppy in his arm. He looked up at his grandmother and said, "Look Grandma. They sold all the puppies except the pretty one, and he looks just like me. "May we buy this puppy?" asked the schoolteacher. "My grandma told me these kind of puppies are real expensive and that I have to take real good care of it," said the little boy, who was now hugging the puppy. "Yes, ma'am. This puppy is for sale." "How much do you think this puppy is worth?" I asked the boy. "About a dollar?" He replied. "No. This puppy is very, very expensive. More than a dollar," I told him. "I'm afraid so." Said his grandmother. The boy stood there pressing the small puppy against his cheek. "We could not possibly take less than two dollars for this puppy," I said. "Like you said, it's the pretty one."(Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances dictate.)
I think it must be a wonderful feeling for any young person to look at their selves in the mirror and see nothing except "the pretty one." And that is possible when we, and they are willing to look past what is outside for what is dwelling on the inside. The Bible tells us that: "(Our) beauty should not come from outward adornment . . . Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight" (1 Peter 3:3-4). When you and I are willing to see "the pretty one" in others and not just what might be the plain or even unpleasing outward appearance of others, how much more beautiful would be the world around us. It's not difficult to do; all we need to do is be willing to see with both eyes open–eyes willing to see within, past the shadows that are without.
We pray. Heavenly Father, You tell us in Your Word that: "(Our) beauty should not come from outward adornment . . . Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth…” (1 Peter 3:3-4). When we are willing to see "the pretty one" in others and not just what might be their plain or even unpleasing outward appearance, how much more beautiful would be the world around us? Forgive us Father when we only look on the outside and not the inside of those around us. Help us Lord to be willing to see with both eyes open–eyes willing to see within, past the shadows that are without. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.