Hi Phil,
thought provoking, and very true.
Vinny
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2004 12:12 PM
Subject: Empty Faith


> EMPTY FAITH
>
>
>
>                                By
>
>                           Phil Scovell
>
>
>                          COPYRIGHT 1994
>
>                          By Phil Scovell
>
>
>
>      My attention was always arrested by a huge transparent bin of
> chocolate candy kisses as a child.  It stood pretentiously in the
> center of the dime store that we often frequented.  It looked, as
> a kid, the height of a man and must have been at least four feet
> in diameter.  "How much would all those cost?" I used to wonder as
> I stood in front of the huge display and dreamed of eating all of
> those chocolates one at a time.  "I could climb inside that big
> barrel and be buried alive in sweets," I mused.
>
>      One day I was in that same store with my mother and after
> searching for some things on the second floor of the department
> store, we walked down the steps to the main level.  There was the
> giant bin of candy chocolate kisses but someone had forgotten to
> replace the lid.  I looked right down inside the large container
> and could clearly see that the barrel was hollow.  The immense
> container had a cylinder of cardboard rolled up inside.  Only
> about two or three inches of candy lined the clear plastic walls;
> making passersby think the transparent drum was filled with the
> candy kisses.  It was a fake!  Somehow, though the barrel still
> contained lots of candy, I found myself disappointed.
>
>      Years later I thought of that experience.  It was so
> challenging as a little boy to stand in front of that monstrous
> display of sweet candy and try to imagine its worth.  The little
> drops of chocolate were so numerous, their sweet scent was almost
> overwhelming.  The lights danced off their shiny foil wrappings
> and made the display seem so much more spectacular.  Imagine my
> disappointment when I discovered it was really only partly there;
> the whole barrel really wasn't filled with candy; most of it was,
> in fact, empty.
>
>      I wonder if God sometimes looks down from above and discovers
> all the shine and glitter, not to mention the sweetness, is only
> on the outside; the center being empty (void) of what is seen from
> without.  If so, why not be filled with Him so what is seen is the
> whole of God's presence in our lives.
>
>
> I Flew Kites With Jesus
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com