Monthly Archives: April 2013

Washing Mom’s Hands

I got this from a Facebook post — I doubt that is the true origin.

hands

One young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the director for the final interview.

The director discovered from his CV that the youth’s academic achievements were excellent. He asked, “Did you obtain any scholarships in school?” the youth answered “no”.

” Was it your father who paid for your school fees?”

“My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.” he replied.

” Where did your mother work?”

“My mother worked as clothes cleaner.”

The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

” Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?”

“Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, “I have a request. When you go home today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back home, he asked his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to her son.

The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother winced when he touched it.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fees. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his education, his school activities and his future.

After cleaning his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director’s office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, when he asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?”

The youth answered,” I cleaned my mother’s hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes’

“I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, I would not be who I am today. By helping my mother, only now do I realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done on your own. And I have come to appreciate the importance and value of helping one’s family.

The director said, “This is what I am looking for in a manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life.”

“You are hired.”

This young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and worked as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop an “entitlement mentality” and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent’s efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, they may be successful for a while, but eventually they would not feel a sense of achievement. They will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying our children instead?

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your child learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

God answers prayer:

If you have read my post Letter to a friend with Cancer then you know Robb has dealt with some very tough issues. I got this note today:

My wife and I have been patiently waiting to announce our pregnancy until we felt like it was the right moment to do so. We’ve had a very tough time with pregnancy and tried for many years without success. We watched many of our friends become pregnant and we always did our best to be encouraging to them while dealing with our own issues of infertility. If this is something that you deal with or have dealt with in the past, please know that we are always willing to lend an ear or to speak with you about your struggle. I know this may be a weird thing to write about as we announce our newest, and possibly only, addition to our family. However, we know what it’s like to struggle and want to be as transparent and compassionate as reasonably allowable. We can laugh with you, cry with you and if you want us to be angry with you, Christina isn’t very good at that, but I’m good enough for the three of us.

At the risk of sounding preachy, indulge me for a moment. We cried when doctors said I had cancer. We rejoiced when I remain cancer free. We cried when we were told we couldn’t have kids because of the treatments, we rejoiced when we found out we were pregnant. I don’t always act like I believe in a Healer. Sometimes, I don’t. Call me fickle, but today I believe in one. Rejoice.

robb_kelley_s

Long as I can grow it! My Hair! (Big Fat Hairy Deal)

A golden oldie: (circa 1995) — this really is no longer an issue, but it was back then

1 Cor -11:14,15 is what your looking for on long hair. I will quote it for you here and then give you some wisdom.

1 Cor 11:11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. (NIV)

1 Cor 11:12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. (NIV)

1 Cor 11:13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? (NIV)

1 Cor 11:14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, (NIV)

1 Cor 11:15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. (NIV)

1 Cor 11:16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice– nor do the churches of God. (NIV)

1 Cor 11:17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. (NIV)

1 Cor 11:18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. (NIV)

1 Cor 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? (KJV)

1 Cor 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. (KJV)

1 Cor 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. (KJV)

Strong’s # 2863 komao (kom-ah’-o); from 2864; to wear
tresses of hair: KJV– have long hair. (DIC)

Strong’s # 2864 kome (kom’-ay); apparently from the same as 2865; the hair of the head (locks, as ornamental, and thus differing from 2359; which properly denotes merely the scalp): KJV– hair. (DIC)

Okay, we have to look at the greek here some to understand what’s going on. Everybody quotes these out of context. Do NOT feel condemned, you are not sinning, but rather, her mother is mis-guided, as are a lot of Christian’s regarding long hair on guy’s.

The greek word used for BOTH LONG and HAIR in verse 14 is komao. Yup, same greek word for both long and hair. But what does it say: It says wear tresses in the hair. BTW this is the only place in the greek NT that these words are used!

Now look at verse 15 for a moment. The words translated LONG and HAIR in this verse, is our familiar komao. However, later in the “for her hair” part of the verse, another greek word is used, and that is kome, which means ornamental locks, etc.

What these verses really say, is NOT that men should NOT have long hair, BUT that they shouldn’t have hair that makes them look like a woman or effeminate. That’s is what those verses really say!

What does it say in verse 16, we have no practice or teaching regarding this matter, for those who are contentious or want to stir strife. In other words, it is a NON-issue. I wish everyone who quotes this out of context would read the whole passage, and some of the other things I will share with you.

Some people (Christian’s) will talk about the Nazerite vow, of never cutting their hair. Well that’s fine, but the guy better have a pretty long beard to match that long hair! He must also refrain from eating grape products (grapes, raisins, grape juice, wine, and never touch a dead body! — See Numbers 6:2-8!)

Long hair can be, in some cases, a sign of rebellion, or it can be a covenant between man and God. We need to be careful, that it doesn’t become an idol!

I may be faced with cutting my hair now, I don’t know. It would be tough. I’ve no covenant with the Lord, I just like long hair. But that may be short lived, as I began searching for a job.

Umm, dude, I got some bad news for you. I don’t know how to break it to you. BUT your hair definitely does NOT make you look like a woman!

What does John-3:16 say:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

Did it say, I have to do something to be saved? Yeah, believe.

Let’s look at Ephesians for a moment:

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– (NIV)

Eph 2:9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (NIV)

Eph 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Oops! You mean I can’t earn my way into heaven by doing some good work! (Cutting my hair?) Afraid not. It’s a gift of God.

What about Romans:

Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (NIV)

Rom 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (NIV)

Rom 10:11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (NIV)

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile– the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, (NIV)

Rom 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (NIV)

Guess what, all I got to do is confess and believe. Did it say I need to clean up my act first? NO. That is the ONLY condition put upon salvation. That song “Just as I am” doesn’t say, “Just as I will be” — Just as we are. God doesn’t tell us to clean up our act, nor to cut our hair to show that we are Christian’s. He loves us just as we are. He
told us just to believe in him, NOT to do a work to earn or prove my salvation. We can’t earn our salvation. The only thing we earn for our sins is DEATH!

“For the wages of sin, is death, BUT the gift of God is Eternal Life, through Jesus Christ.” (ROM-6:23)

What God’s gift? Eternal life. Did he tell me I had to do something other than believe? Sure didn’t! Did he tell me I had to cut my hair? No he didn’t. He didn’t tell me to do anything, except confess and believe (ROM-10:9,10)

Sorry this is so long, BUT you sorta put me into soapbox mode dude. Hope this helps. Let me know. It took me an about an hour and half to put this together, so it’s not as well researched as it could be.

One point I would like to make, and it’s a feeling, (again I would need more time to research this to prove this point so don’t quote me on this please) is that in those days, male prostitutes grew there hair long (to look like a woman), and female prostitutes cut their hair short (to look like men).

That, I feel is why those scriptures MAY have been written. Clearly, as I understand it, men are NOT to have hair or ornamentation in them, that make them look like a woman. The important thing, is that it was a non-issue for them.

Wayno Guerrini

12/3/91 @ 7:15 am