Lunch with God

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God.He knew it was a long trip to where God lived,so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies & a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.
When he had gone a few blocks from home,he met an old man.He was sitting in the park near the waterjust staring at some birds .
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase.He was about to take a drink from his root beer,when he noticed that the old man looked hungry,so he offered him a Twinkie.
The old man gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.His smile was so incrediblethat the boy wanted to see it again,so he offered him a root beer.
Once again, he smiled at him.The boy was delighted!They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling,but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was,and he got up to leave, but beforehe had gone more than a few steps;he turned around, and ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug.
The old man gave him his biggest smile ever,When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face.She asked her son: "What did you do today that made you so happy?"
The child replied: "I had lunch with God."But before his mother could respond, he added:"You know what?He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!
Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home.His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and asked "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"He replied: "I ate Twinkies in the park with God."But before his son responded, he added:"You know, He's much younger than I expected.
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch,a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring.All of which have the potential to make someone's day a very special one, or even turn someone's life around.

Texans

1. You can properly pronounce Corsicana, Palestine, Decatur, Wichita Falls, San Antonio, Burnet, Boerne, Mexia, Waco, Amarillo, andWaxahachie.
2. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.
3. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.
5. Stores don't have bags, they have sacks.
6. You see people wear bib overalls at funerals.
7. You measure distance in minutes.
8. Little Smokies are something you serve only for special occasions.
9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.
10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.
11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.
12. Someone you know has used a foot ball schedule to plan their wedding date.
13. You have known someone who has had a belt buckle bigger than your fist.
14. You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, and bait all in the same store.
15. Your "place at the lake" has wheels under it.
16. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol; a Ford F350 4x4 is.
17. You know everything goes better with Ranch dressin'.
18 You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.
19. You actually understand this and you are "fixin' to" send it to your friends.
20. Finally, you are 100% Texan if you have ever heard this conversation:
"You wanna coke?"
"Yeah."
"What kind?"
"Dr. Pepper!"

So the story goes...

The man was jealous in nature. He would see what he liked, and liked what he saw, and he would want it, and he would take it. He saw the land, the vineyard, it was near his home. He could close his eyes and just imagine the way the soil would feel sifting through his fingers. He could smell the vegetables growing up from the fertile soil.

Read story below:
1 Kings 21: 1-6
"Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."
But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"
He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.' "

The story goes on, Queen Jezebel had Naboth killed (with the King's knowledge). The King then took possession of the vineyard. (For complete story see 1 Kings 21)

The part that amazes me is verse two where the King says, "In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."

The King did not even want the vineyard because it was the BEST vineyard. He wanted the vineyard, because he wanted it.

My name could be King Ahab. I have things, and people that surround me, and yet there are times when I look for more, and long for more. But those things that I often want, are not even the BEST.

Why do we choose that- choose second best when God is ready with something even better?

Psalm 81:16

"But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

No Titled Continued...The full story below

It was a regular average every day day. It was neither hot nor cold, which is actually not average for a summer day. So I went to work, came home, checked mail and headed out for a walk. Also, not unusual. (Side note: I love the smell of cooking hamburgers and burning leaves) So I'm walking around the neighborhood, reading my book as I went, (And yes I realize that it's weird, but I like to mulitask), when all of a sudden I noticed a large hole that I had never noticed before. I walked to the side of the path and set my book down and peered into the hole. It was so deep I could not see the bottom. There was a large rope fastened to a tree that had been dropped into the hole. Not wanting to miss out on any adventure, I yelled down into the hole to see if anyone would respond. No one answered. So, I took a hold of the rope and began to inch my way down the long vertical tunnel. Within about five minutes I reached the bottom. I'm gonna guess it was only about 25 feet or so deep. Silly me, I had no flashlight, which I didn't even think about until I got to the bottom. Strange though, at the bottom it was remarkably light. I walked forward about five steps and found myself in a large cavern with sparkling rocks that looked like glitter covering the walls and ceiling. I was speechless. I stood with my mouth open for only a matter of minutes when I heard quiet footsteps approach me from behind. I felt the pressure of a hand on my shoulder. ...I stood that way for what seemed like forever. Silent and unmoving. It felt as though my heart stopped beating. After about five minutes the hand was removed off my shoulder and a voice spoke."Amazing sight, is it not?" I nodded, still too afraid to speak or to turn around.The voice spoke again. "Follow me."The man, who actually turned out to be one of the Apartment Security Guards, walked around me and started leading the way to another narrow tunnel. This tunnel was dark, but once again there was a light illuminating at the opposite end. Slowly my heart returned to its normal pace."What is this place?" I asked.But the guard did not answer. I raced after him as he started walking faster and faster (I have short legs- good thing I had my running shoes on). Then without a moments notice the floor below the guard gave way, and I turned to try to reach solid groung, but then I felt the sensation as though I was falling. I couldn't stop in time. I go over the edge and suddenly I'm suspended in slow-motion. Moments later I land as if I were a lint ball landing on the dryer. It's still. Quiet. I'm alone. And then this beam of lite so brite...I hear a shrill noise. I wake up to find that I've landed on my pillow that preceded me off my bed. But this is not my room. This is not my house. "And I muttered, "That's not my dog!!" I crouch into a ball & lean to one side as the vicious creature leaps towards me. Out of the corner of my eyes I see him latch onto the arm that is about to grab me. Quickly I jump up & spin around to see who it is but I stumble. I lift my head off the floor. Slowly, I open my eyes. My aunt is standing over me. "Oh, Auntie El, I had a dream." She then became a shadow and everything faded away.

I was groggy and everything was quiet. I'm not sure how far I had fallen or how long I had been unconscious. Every part of my body ached. Slowly, I moved and stretched my arms and legs until I was sure I was not broken and then I finally stood. I wobbily felt my way along the path. I was alone in what I assumed to be another tunnel. This time there was no light, but rather I was in total darkenss. The walls were damp and rough , and it smelled like musty dank water. My head was aching, but I still walked, feeling my way and occassionally stubbing my toe or banking my knee on a jagged rock. Then without warning I smacked into a metal object that was obstructing my path. With my hands I inspected the surface! It was a ladder. My heart started beating quickly out of relief and excitement. I took a hold of the bottom rung and began my ascent. After about 5 minutes of climbing I saw a glow in the form of a circle above my head. It was a man hole! Another shot of relief swept through my body. I climbed up a few more feet, and with one hand was able to push the man hole cover open. It was remarkably light. I climbed out of the man hole and looked around to see where I was. I noticed my book was laying right beside the cover. But, how was that possible? I had gone down a hole, and there had been a tree and a rope! I had walked underground for miles! And yet, here my book was, just as I had left it. I scanned my surroundings, there was no tree and no rope. I rushed quickly home to my apartment, and found that only 15 minutes had passed since I first set out on my walk. I have not spoken about the experience. I've gone back to that area multiple time. The man hole cover is now sealed shut. Strange, but the guard has never been seen since...