Apples

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush through the airport terminal, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently tipped over a table, which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE. He paused, took a deep breath, experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, and told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination to explain why he was taking a later flight. Then he returned to the place where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.

The 16-year-old girl who was selling apples was blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, helplessly groping for her apples as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; he set them aside in another basket.When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?' She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, ‘I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Sir...' He paused and turned to look back into the blind girl’s eyes. She asked, 'Are you Jesus?' He stopped in mid-stride, awe struck by her words. “No, but I try to imitate the things He would do.’

Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?' What seemed like a simple act of kindness became so much more.Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day today. Even something as simple as picking up some apples.

Are you Jesus?

Torch ball caps on sale

Hello everyone,

I know everyone is gearing up for their mission trips this summer. I hope you all are as excited as I am to get to go down to work again. I know that we all have a lot going on but I wanted to share this with you. I am putting in an order for Torch ball caps. If you would like to order one let me know by Monday, May 12th. The caps come in 2 different styles. Let me know what style and color. The caps are $12.00 each. If you are with a group I will send them all at one time to your group leader before your trip departs. If you are in my group I will either mail them to you or bring them with me on the trip. Thanks!

Terry

Style 1: One size fits most "fitted" cotton caps (fits heads with hat size 7 - 7 5/8)
Colors:
Black with white TORCH letters
Navy blue with gold (yellow) TORCH letters
Moss green with off white TORCH letters

Style 2: unstructured cotton cap with adjustable strap.
Colors:
Yellow with black TORCH letters
Chocolate brown with pale pink TORCH letters
Moss green with off white TORCH letters
Khaki with black TORCH letters

I need to get the order in on Tuesday, May 13th. I need payment for the your cap by May 31st. Make checks payable to Western Hills Church of Christ / Torch Missions. My address is 221 Oak Hill Drive, Lebanon, TN 37087