Single Woman Seeks a Man

Wanted: A man of integrity, in the process of becoming. Edges softened by experiences. Sense of humor shaped by adversity; perspective on life forged through surviving good and bad times. Whistling definitely an asset, though not required. Must live in a transparent vessel.

Maybe I should be a little more specific, leaving no doubts.

EYES — colored with compassion; looking with mercy on other’s shortcomings; given to seeing the bright side when things look dark.

ARMS — long enough to reach out to others; wide enough to encompass a heart full of grief.

LEGS — strong enough to walk through trials and hard times, up the mountains and down the valleys of live; able to run with endurance the race set before him.

HANDS — big enough to grasp another’s hand in need; strong enough to push away fear; gentle enough to dry away tears with a loving touch; firm enough to manage life’s troubles.

SKIN — thick enough to ignore the pettiness and problems of daily living; thin enough to feel unspoken needs.

EARS — sensitive to unspoken words; capable of tuning out irrelevant information; able to listen through to the heart.

NOSE — delicate enough to detect the fragrance released from life broken and yielded to God.

MOUTH — able to speak the truth with love; give a word to the weary; overflowing with kindness.

MIND — forgets past hurts and injustices; retains great thoughts and special memories; trained to think the best.

HEIGHT— tall enough to rise above temptation; short enough to stoop and pick up those who fall.

AGE — old enough to accept life’s realities; young enough to hum in the midst of adversity and laugh in the face of failure.

CLOTHES — clothed with compassion; a well-fitting suit of God’s armor.

OCCUPATION — occupied with the joy of life while being conformed to the image of Christ; looks to the future while appreciating the present; computes eternal dividends.

WARNING : Only those willing to experience a life filled with great risk, no guarantees and possible pain—yet who continues to hope in the future—need apply. No wearers of rose-colored glasses, please.

I put down my pencil and pondered a minute. Maybe I will place that ad. You never know. And in the meantime, I’ll be busy working on those qualities myself. Just in case someone places an ad like that for me to answer.

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Sue Schumann is managing editor of New Frontier magazine.

The Cherokee Indian

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn.

Moral of the story:
Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there. 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.'

A good lesson to learn. The moral of the story, be a mentor like the Cherokee father.

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Received this in my mail box, find it too inspiring not to share.