Kindness - Ford vs. Ferrari - Wellness vs Illness

 

The Bird in the Tree Ruth Pitter

The tree, and its haunting bird,

Are the loves of my heart;

But where is the word, the word,

Oh where is the art,



To say, or even to see,

For a moment of time,

What the Tree and the Bird must be

In the true sublime?



They shine, listening to the soul,

And the soul replies;

But the inner love is not whole,

and the moment dies.



Oh give me before I die

The grace to see

With eternal, ultimate eye,

The Bird and the Tree.



The song in the living Green,

The Tree and the Bird –

Oh have they ever been seen,

Ever been heard?

"Sermons We See"

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye is a better pupil, more willing than the ear;
Fine counsel is confusing, but example is always clear,
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.

I can soon learn how to do it if you will let me see it done;
I can watch your hand in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,
But there is no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

One good man teaches many; men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noted is worth forty that are told.
Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language which to everyone is clear.
Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say,
I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

Edgar A. Guest
1881-1959

The Thoughts of God

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

How wonderful Thy thought, O God!

Though poor and needy I may be,

How high, how deep, how manifold,

Thy never-ceasing thought of me!

Thou thinkest more than I can know;

Thy gifts transcend my fairest dreams;

Beside the greatest of Thy thoughts

How small mine utmost asking seems!

Thou thinkest peace; the winds are lulled

And lash no more the billow's crest,

And all the tumult of my soul

Is hushed into Thy perfect rest.

Thou thinkest joy, and I rejoice;

Even in grief I must be glad,

For when my lips can sing Thy praise,

My spirit may no more be sad.

Thou thinkest strength; I rise again

Where I had fallen in the fight,

And gird Thine armor on anew,

Strong in the power of Thy might.

Thou thinkest light; the clouds depart;

The stars shine through the deeps of space,

And then the dawn, and then the day,

The sun, and glory of Thy face.

Thou thinkest love; ah! God of love,

That thought in Christ embodied lies;

I see a vision of the cross,

And every selfish impulse dies.

Annie Johnson Flint

The Presence of His Love

(By Rev. John F. Perling) 

[Edited] 
 The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg. 
 It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her. 
 "How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Susan's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband Mark. 
 Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Mark's military background had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he know this was the most difficult battle he would ever face. 
 Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. 
 Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement wasn't working - it was hectic, and costly. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react? 
 Just as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me." 
 Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. 
 For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase. 
 Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her, in the Susan he used to know before she'd lost her sight, who wasn't afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit. 
 Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself! 
 On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you." Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?" 
 The driver responded, "It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are." Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and asked again, "What do you mean?" 
 The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one blessed lady." 
 Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was blessed, so blessed, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring light where there had been darkness. 
 God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know He is present. We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless! Be blessed in this thought: "God Loves You - even when you are not looking." 

Hospital Wing

A panel of doctors was asked for their opinions concerning a proposal to build a new wing to their hospital. This was what they said:

The Allergists voted to scratch it.

The Dermatologists preferred no rash moves.

The Psychiatrists thought it was madness.

The Radiologists could see right through it.

The Gastroenterologists had a gut feeling about it.

The Neurologists thought the administration had a lot of nerve.

The Obstetricians stated they were laboring under a misconception.

The Ophthalmologists considered the idea short-sighted.

The Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body."

The Pediatricians said, "Grow up!"

The Plastic Surgeon said, 'This puts a whole new face on the matter.'

The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward.

The Urologists felt the scheme wouldn't hold water.

The Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing.

The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas.

I Thank You God...

e.e. cummings (1894–1962)

I Thank You God...

i thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth

day of life and love and wings:and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any—lifted from the no

of all nothing—human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)