Reflections:Be Open For What God Has For You,Allow People To Lend You A Helping Hand

                    

 I see a beggar sitting on the side of the street. He is saying, "Nobody loves me! Nobody cares. If only I had some food to eat. Why doesn't anybody give me food?"

            A little old lady walks by and says, "Here. Here's an apple for you."

            The beggar says, "I don't like apples, I want an orange!"

            She walks along her way, slightly hurt at the rejection of the beggar for not receiving her deed of kindness.

            "Nobody loves me," the beggar says. "Nobody cares. If only I had a job I could make money, and then I'd be happy."

            A gardener walks by and tells the beggar, "Come work with me! I'll give you half the earnings."

            "What is the work?" the beggar says.

            "It's gardening--pulling weeds, cutting grass, trimming bushes, working amongst God's creation."

            "Oh, no, no, no! That's not the kind of work I want. Besides, the bushes make me sneeze! Weeding hurts my knees. No, that's okay, I'd rather not do that kind of work."

            The gardener moves along, somewhat offended that he was rejected in his offer to give half of his pay to this lonely beggar.

            "Nobody loves me. Nobody cares," moans the beggar. "I have no one to talk to, or to be with."

            A kind woman with one leg hobbles along on her crutches, crosses the beggar's path and says, "Come, let's have a cup of coffee and enjoy each other's company."

            Excited about the possibility of a warm cup of coffee with a female, the beggar looks up. But as he sees that she only has one leg, he says, "No, no, I've had enough coffee today. I have to stay out here and earn my keep."

            The woman hobbles along, hurt because of the beggar's rejection of her offer.

            The beggar continues, "I'm so cold. I'm so hungry. I'm so tired."

            A nice man walks by and offers the beggar a blanket which he had in the back of his car. It's discolored from the sun beating upon it.

            The beggar says, "No, no! It's discolored, and it's not my color anyway. I would rather have a different one. No, thank you. I don't want your blanket."

            The gentleman moves on, hurt because of the rejection of his offer.

            An angel appears and says to the beggar, "You know, if you would eat the apple, the Lord would give you a taste for them. If you did the humble gardening jobs, the Lord would heal your knees and your hay fever.

            "If you learned to give happiness to others, and to not judge by outward appearance, the Lord would give you more fellowship, and give you more happiness.

            "If you learned to receive the gifts the Lord has for you, without analyzing and judging them, you would find that they are bread, and not stones. Be open to what the Lord has for you. Do not be closed to the hand that reaches out to help you."

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