2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Stahl" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 3:57 PM
Subject: Too busy for a friend


>>>>
>>>>   One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the
>>>> other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space
>>>> between each name.
>>>>

>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say
>>>> about each of their
>>>>   classmates and write it down.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   It took the remainder of the class period to finish their
>>>> assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in
>>>> the papers.
>>>>

>>>>
>>>>   That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on

>>>> a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said
>>>> about that individual.

>>>>
>>>>   On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the

>>>> entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never
>>>> knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others
>>>> liked me so much." were most of the comments.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew

>>>> if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it
>>>> didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The
>>>> students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of
>>>> students moved on.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam
>>>> and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She
>>>> had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked
>>>> so handsome, so mature.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who
>>>> loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last
>>>> one to bless the coffin.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer
>>>> came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She
>>>> nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together

>>>> to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously
>>>> waiting to speak with his teacher.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet

>>>> out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We
>>>> thought you might recognize it."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of
>>>> notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded
>>>> many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were
>>>> the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's

>>>> classmates had said about him.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you
>>>> can see, Mark treasured it."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie

>>>> smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my
>>>>   list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding
>>>> album."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took
>>>> out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group
>>>> "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting

>>>> an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for

>>>> Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that
>>>> life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day
>>>>   will be.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are
>>>> special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   And One Way To Accomplish This Is: Send this message on. If you
>>>> do not send it, you will have, once again passed up the wonderful
>>>> opportunity to do something nice and beautiful
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   If you've received this, it is because someone cares for you and
>>>> it means there is probably at least someone for whom you care.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   If you're "too busy" to take those few minutes right now to
>>>> forward this message on, would this be the VERY first time you
>>>> didn't do that little thing that would make a difference in your
>>>> relationships?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   The more people that you send this to,
>>>>   the better you'll be at reaching out to those you care about.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of
>>>> others comes back into your own.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   May Your Day Be As Blessed  As
>>>>
>>>>   You Are  Special
>>>
>>
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