Caller ID

On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home.  
It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. 
 The pastor let the phone ring many times.
He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. 
When he tried again she answered right away. 
He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. 
They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.. 
 The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. 
The pastor couldn't figure out what the man was talking about. Then the man said, 'It rang and rang, but I didn't answer.' 
The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife. 
The man said, 'that’s, OK. Let me tell you my story. 
 You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, 'God if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now.'  
At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. 
I was afraid to answer!'.  The reason why it showed on the man's caller ID that the call came from 'Almighty God' is because the church that the pastor attends is called Almighty God Tabernacle!! 
 God bless! READ EACH SENTENCE SLOWLY AND THINK ABOUT IT.
 Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear. Don't cry over anyone who won't cry over you. 
Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
Don't let the past hold you back, you're missing the good stuff. 
 BEST FRIENDS are the siblings God forgot to give us. 
When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your BEST FRIEND will be there.
Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them.

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

My Quilt

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls. Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles.
An Angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life. But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. 
They were filled with giant holes.
Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.
I glanced around me. 
Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here
and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of
worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. 
My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.
Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the
scrutiny of truth. The others rose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries.
So filled their lives had been.
My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise. 
My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. 
I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and death, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it. 
I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again.
I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me. And now, I had to
face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.
I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.
An awe-filled gasp filled the air.
I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes. Then, I looked
upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image,
the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.
May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through.

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/