Daddy's Chair
I don't normally post here but a friend sent this to me today and I
wanted to send it on to others who might enjoy.
DADDY'S EMPTY CHAIR ~
A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with
her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed
with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside
his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed
of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me, he said. "No, who are
you?" said the father. The minister told him his name and then
remarked, "I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was
going to show up,"
"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind
closing
the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door. "I have never told
anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my
life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the
pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head." I
abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one
day four years ago, my best friend said to me, "Johnny, prayer is
just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is
what I suggest."
"Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in
faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because He
promised, 'I will be with you always. "Then just speak to him in the
same way you're doing with me right now." So I tried it and I've
liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm
careful though if my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair,
she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny
farm."
The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man
to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him
with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter
called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.
Did he die in peace?" he asked. Yes, when I left the house about
two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me
and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour
later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his
death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and
rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of
that?"
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could
all go like that."
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
I asked God for water,
He gave me an ocean.
I asked God for a flower,
He gave me a garden.
I asked God for a friend,
He gave me all of YOU...
If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.