Be contented of what you have

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn’t hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he’d pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I’d always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket.. hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. ‘My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don’t know.’

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.

‘My husband passed away eight days ago,’ I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. ‘Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together.’

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away.

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A Quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile! I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. ‘These are for you,’ she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. ‘When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for.’ She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she’d done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision.

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wra pping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn’t alone.

Oh, you haven’t forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

Every day be thankful for what you have and who you are.
(Please read all of this, it is really nice)

This is a simple request. If you appreciate life, send this to your friends, including the person that sent it to you.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings. Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible. Thank you, Lord , that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising. Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks ar e lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, and my children are so loud.

Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced.
Thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job..

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest. Thank you, Lord, for life.

 

Forwarded by: Marissa

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN

> This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so
> true:
>
> I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me
> around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom
> filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the
> first section and said, ‘This is the Receiving Section.
>
> Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are
> received.’
>
> I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with
> so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous
> paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.
>
> Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the
> second section.
>
> The angel then said to me, ‘This is the Packaging and
> Delivery Section.
>
> ?
>
> Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are
> processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for
> them. ‘I noticed again how busy it was there. There were
> many angels working hard at that station, since so many
> blessings had been requested and were being packaged for
> delivery to Earth.
>
> Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped
> at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise,
> only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing.
> ‘This is the Acknowledgment Section,’ my angel
> friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed
> ‘How is it that there is no work going on here?’ I
> asked.
>
> ‘So sad,’ the angel sighed. ‘After people
> receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send
> back acknowledgments ..’
>
> ‘How does one acknowledge God’s blessings?’ I
> asked.
>
> ‘Simple,’ the angel answered. Just say, ‘Thank
> you, Lord.’
>
> ‘What blessings should they acknowledge? ‘ I asked.
>
> ‘If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your
> back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer
> than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in
> your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the
> top 8% of the world’s wealthy.’
>
> ‘And if you get this on your own computer, you are part
> of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity. ‘
>
> ‘If you woke up this morning with more health than
> illness … you are more blessed than the many who will not
> even survive this day .’
>
> ‘If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the
> loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the
> pangs of starvation … you are ahead of 700 million people
> in the world.’
>
> ‘If you can attend a church without the fear of
> harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and
> more blessed than three billion people in the world .’
>
> ‘If your parents are still alive and still married
> …you are very rare .’
>
> ‘If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not
> the norm, you’re unique to all those in doubt and
> despair.’
>
> Ok, what now? How can I start?
>
> If you can read this message, you just received a double
> blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special
> and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the
> world who cannot read at all.
>
> Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want,
> pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all
> are..
>
> ATTN:
>
> Acknowledge Dept.: ‘Thank you Lord, for giving me the
> ability to share this message and for giving me so many
> wonderful people to share it with.’

 

 

Forwarded by: Ryan Val