Fwd: Hey boy, who's your daddy?
We never know what one kind word
can do for another person. God Bless.
A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg , Tennessee .
One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal.
While they were waiting for their
food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from
table to table, visiting with the guests.
The
professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, “I hope he doesn't
come over here.” But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.
“Where are you folks from?” he asked in a friendly voice. “ Oklahoma ,” they answered.
“Great to have you here in Tennessee ,” the stranger said... “What do you do for a living?”
“I teach at a seminary,” he replied.
“Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really great story for you. ”
And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.
The professor groaned and thought to himself, “Great.. Just what we need.... Another preacher story!”
The
man started, “See that mountain over there?" he said, pointing out the
restaurant window. "Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a
boy born to an unwed mother.
"He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question,
'Hey boy, who's your daddy?'
"Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?'
"He
would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid
going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad.
"When
he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would
always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the
question, 'Who's your daddy?'
"But
one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got
caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got
to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put
his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's Your daddy?'
"The
whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church
was looking at him. Now everyone would finally know the answer to the
question, 'Who's your daddy?'
"This
new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using
discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to
that scared little boy. 'Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the
family resemblance now. You are a child of God.'
"With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.'
"The
boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a
changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked
him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them, 'I'm a Child of God.'''
The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, “Isn't that a great story?”
The professor responded that it really was a great story!
As
the man turned to leave, he said, “You know, if that new preacher
hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would
have amounted to anything!” And he walked away.
The
seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress
over and asked her, "Do you know who that man was that just left that
was sitting at our table?”
The waitress grinned and said, “Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's governor of Tennessee!”
Someone in your life today could use a reminder that they're one of God's Children!
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.” ~~Isaiah 40:8
YOU'RE ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN!!! HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Keep this going. You have no idea which one of your e-mail buddies could use a little hope today.
John
3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that
whoever believed in him would not perish, but have everlasting life."
