Do You Carry Your Umbrella?
Would you carry your umbrella in a drought? As a drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community of farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. Rain was important to keep their crops healthy and sustain the townspeople's way of life. As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting to ask for rain.
Do you Have Your Umbrella?
Many people arrived at the church to pray for the needed rain. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in.
As he walked to the front of the church to officially begin the meeting he noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and socializing with friends.
When he reached the front his thoughts were on quieting the attendees and starting the meeting.
His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven year-old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming with excitement.
Next to her, open and ready for use, was a very colorful and extremely large umbrella, much bigger than her in fact.
The little girl's beauty and innocence made the pastor smile as he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the congregation had brought an umbrella.
All came to pray for rain.But the little girl had come expecting God to answer.
Faith of the Heart
"It's impossible!" said Pride. "It's risky!" said Experience. "It's pointless!!" said Reason. "Give it a try!" said the Heart.
The first step to getting anywhere is deciding you are no longer willing to stay where you are now.
Faith Through the Storm
A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the
farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep
through a storm."
This puzzled the farmer... but he liked the young man.
So he hired him.
A few weeks later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in
the night by a violent storm ripping through the
valley. He jumped out of bed and called our for his
new hired man, but found him sleeping soundly in the midst
of the storm.
He quickly began to check things to see if all was
secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse
had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had
been set next to the fireplace.
The farmer and his wife then inspected their
property. They found that the farm tools had been
placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.
And wheat bales had been bound and wrapped in tarps.
The tractor had been moved into its garage. The barn was
properly locked tight. Even the animals were calm and had
plenty of feed. All was well.
The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's
words, "I can sleep through a storm."
Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully
when the skies were clear, he was prepared for any
storm. So when the storm did actually break, he was
not concerned or afraid. He could sleep in peace.