Chicken Soup for soul.docx
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Chicken Soup for soul.docx
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ChickenSoupforsoul
CHANGINGTHEWORLDONESTORYATATIME
BeStillWithGodByNancyB.Gibbs心灵鸡汤evelyn
AlldaylongIhadbeenverybusy;pickinguptrash,cleaningbathroomsandscrubbingfloors.Mygrownchildrenwerecominghomefortheweekend.Iwentgroceryshoppingandpreparedforabarbecuesupper,completewithribsandchicken.Iwantedeverythingtobeperfect.
Suddenly,itdawnedonmethatIwasdog-tired.Isimplycouldn'tworkaslongasIcouldwhenIwasyounger."I'vegottorestforaminute,"Itoldmyhusband,Roy,asIcollapsedintomyfavoriterockingchair.Musicwasplaying,mydogandcatwerechasingeachotherandthetelephonerang.
AscripturefromPsalm46poppedintomymind."Bestill,andknowthatIamGod."IrealizedthatIhadn'tspentmuchtimeinprayerthatday.WasItoobusytoevenutterasimplewordofthankstoGod?
Suddenly,thethoughtofmybeautifulpatiocametomind.Icanbequietoutthere,Ithought.IlongedforafewminutesalonewithGod.
RoyandIhadinvestedagreatdealoftimeandworkinthepatiothatspring.Theflowersandhangingbasketswerebreathtaking.Itwasdefinitelyaheavenlyplaceofrestandtranquility.IfIcan'tbestillwithGodinthatenvironment,Ican'tbestillwithHimanywhere,Ithought.WhileRoywastalkingonthetelephone,Islippedoutthebackdoorandsatdownonmyfavoritepatiochair.Iclosedmyeyesandbegantopray,countingmymanyblessings.
Abirdflewbyme,chirpingandsinging.Itinterruptedmythoughts.ItlandedonthebirdfeederandbeganeatingdinnerasIwatched.Afterafewminutesitflewaway,singinganothersong.
Iclosedmyeyesagain.Agustofwindblew,whichcausedmywindchimestodance.Theymadeajoyfulsound,butagainIlostmyconcentrationonGod.Isquirmedandwiggledinmychair.Ilookeduptowardtheblueskyandsawthecloudsmovingslowlytowardthehorizon.Thewinddieddown.Mywindchimesfinallybecamequiet.
Again,Ibowedinprayer."Honk,honk,"Iheard.Ialmostjumpedoutofmyskin.Aneighborwasdrivingdownthestreet.Hewavedatmeandsmiled.Iwavedback,happythathecared.Iquicklytriedonceagaintosettledown,repeatingthefamiliarverseinmymind.BestillandknowthatIamGod.
"I'mtryingGod.Ireallyam,"Iwhispered."Butyou'vegottohelpmehere."Thebackdooropened.Myhusbandwalkedoutside."Iloveyou,"hesaid."Iwaswonderingwhereyouwere."Ichuckled,ashecameoverandkissedme,thenturnedaroundandwentbackinside.
"Where'sthequiettime?
"IaskedGod.Myheartfluttered.Therewasnopain,onlyabeatthatinterruptedmeyetagain.Thisisimpossible,Ithought.There'snotimetobestillandtoknowthatGodiswithme.There'stoomuchgoingonintheworldandentirelytoomuchactivityallaroundme.
Thenitsuddenlydawnedonme.GodwasspeakingtometheentiretimeIwasattemptingtobestill.IrememberedthemusicplayingasI'dbegunmyquiettime.Hesentasparrowtolightenmylifewithsong.Hesentagentlebreeze.HesentaneighbortoletmeknowthatIhadafriend.Hesentmysweethearttooffersinceresentimentsoflove.Hecausedmyhearttofluttertoremindmeoflife.WhileIwastryingtocountmyblessings,Godwasbusymultiplyingthem.
Ilaughedtorealizethatthe"interruptions"ofmyquiettimewithGodwerespecialblessingsHe'dsenttoshowmeHewaswithmetheentiretime.
PlantaRowfortheHungryByJeffLowenfels
ItwasacoldnightinWashington,D.C.,andIwasheadingbacktothehotelwhenamanapproachedme.HeaskedifIwouldgivehimsomemoneysohecouldgetsomethingtoeat.I'dreadthesigns:
"Don'tgivemoneytopanhandlers."SoIshookmyheadandkeptwalking.
Iwasn'tpreparedforareply,butwithresignation,hesaid,"IreallyamhomelessandIreallyamhungry!
Youcancomewithmeandwatchmeeat!
"ButIkeptonwalking.
Theincidentbotheredmefortherestoftheweek.Ihadmoneyinmypocketanditwouldn'thavekilledmetohandoverabuckortwoevenifhehadbeenlying.Onafrigid,coldnight,noless,Iassumedtheworstofafellowhumanbeing.
FlyingbacktoAnchorage,Icouldn'thelpthinkingofhim.Itriedtorationalizemyfailuretohelpbyassuminggovernmentagencies,churchesandcharitiesweretheretofeedhim.Besides,you'renotsupposedtogivemoneytopanhandlers.
SomewhereoverSeattle,IstartedtowritemyweeklygardencolumnforTheAnchorageDailyNews.Outoftheblue,Icameupwithanidea.Bean'sCafe,thesoupkitcheninAnchorage,feedshundredsofhungryAlaskanseveryday.WhynottrytogetallmyreaderstoplantonerowintheirgardensdedicatedtoBean's?
DedicatearowandtakeitdowntoBean's.Cleanandsimple.
Wedidn'tkeeprecordsbackthen,buttheideabegantotakeoff.Folkswouldfaxmeorcallwhentheytooksomethingin.Thosewhoonlygrewflowersdonatedthem.Foodforthespirit.Andsalveformyconscience.
In1995,theGardenWritersAssociationofAmericaheldtheirannualconventioninAnchorageandafterlearningofAnchorage'sprogram,PlantaRowforBean'sbecamePlantaRowForTheHungry.TheoriginalideawastohaveeverymemberoftheGardenWritersAssociationofAmericawriteortalkaboutplantingarowforthehungrysometimeduringthemonthofApril.
AsmoreandmorepeoplestartedworkingwiththePlantaRowconcept,newvariationscroppedup,ifyouwillpardonthepun.Manycompaniesgavefreeseedtocustomersanddisplayedthelogo,whichalsoappearedinnationalgardeningpublications.
RowmarkerswiththePlantaRowlogoweredistributedtogardenerstosetaparttheir"RowfortheHungry."
GardeneditorJoanJackson,backedbyTheSanJoseMercuryNewsandCalifornia'snearlyyear-roundgrowingseason,raisedmorethan30,000poundsoffruitsandvegetablesherfirstyear,andshowedGWAAhowtheprogramcouldreallywork.TexasfruitfarmsdonatedfoodtotheirlocalfoodbankafterbeinginspiredbyPlantaRow.Todaytheprogramcontinuestothriveandgrow.
IamstunnedthatmillionsofAmericansarethreatenedbyhunger.IfeverygardenerinAmerica-andwe'reseventymillionstrong-plantsonerowforthehungry,wecanmakequiteadentinthenumberofneighborswhodon'thaveenoughtoeat.MaybethenIwillstopfeelingguiltyaboutabandoningahungrymanIcouldhavehelped.
BeyondExpectationsByMiltGarrett
ItseemsacardealershipinmyhometownofAlbuquerquewasselling,onaverage,sixtoeightnewcarsaday,sixdaysaweek.Iwasalsotoldthat72percentofthisdealership'sfirst-timevisitorsreturnedforasecondvisit.(Atthattime,theaverageforalldealershipsinAlbuquerqueforsecond-timevisitorswas8percent.)
Iwascuriousandintrigued.Howdoesacardealershipget72percentofitsfirst-timevisitorstoreturn?
Andhowcantheysellsixtoeightcarsadayinaslumpingcarmarket?
WhenIwalkedintoSaturnofAlbuquerquethatFridayfouryearsago,thestafftheredidn'tknowmefromAdam;yettheysharedwithmetheirpricingpolicy,theprofitmarginoneverymodel,andstaffincome.TheyevenopenedtheirtrainingmanualsformyreviewandinvitedmebackonSaturdayifIwantedmoreinformation(aninvitationIheartilyaccepted).
Ilearnedthatthisdealership(likeallSaturndealerships)hasa"no-dickersticker"policy;thatis,thepriceonthewindowisthepriceyoupayforthecar.Period.Youcan'tevennegotiateforafreesetoffloormats.Saturnabidesbyitspremiseofsellinghigh-qualityautomobilesforareasonableprice.
Furthermore,Saturnsalesconsultants(theirtermforcustomer-contactpeople)aren'tpaidacommission-they'resalaried.Thismeanswhenyouwalkontotheshowroomflooryou'renotbombardedwithwhatIrefertoas"beyondeager"salespeople.
IexpandedmyresearchtootherdealershipsinAlbuquerque.ItturnedoutthatFordEscorts,LTDsandThunderbirds,aswellastheMercuryMarquis,werealsosoldas"no-dickersticker"cars.AsBruceSutherlandatRichardsonFordsaid,"WewerelosingourmarkettoSaturnbecauseoftheirpricingandsalarypolicies."Healsosaid,"IfwealldidwhatSaturnwasdoing,we'dnotonlymakeadecentliving,butwe'dalsoenjoyabetterreputation."
OnSunday,thedayaftermysecondvisittotheSaturnstore(theirterm,notmine),mywife,Jane,andIwerewalkingaswefrequentlydo.OnthisparticularJunemorning,Janegentlyslippedherhandinmineandsaidtenderly,"Idon'tknowifyouremember,buttoday'smyfifthanniversaryofbeingcancer-free."Shewasdiagnosedwithbreastcancerfiveyearsagoandhadundergonesurgery.Iwasstunned,partiallybecauseIwasembarrassedthatIhadforgotten,and,partially,because...well,itseemswespendallofourtimeearningalivingandneverstoptoliveourearnings.Imean,isn'tthiswhatit'sreallyallabout?
Ididn'tknowwhattodowithJane'sinformation.Ispoketohertenderly.Allday.Itookhertolunch.Iboughtthelunch.Itwasanice,intimateday.
Thenextday,Monday,Janewentofftoworkteachingschool.Stillbesidemyselfnotknowingwhattodotomarkthisspecialoccasion,IdidthemostimpetuousthingI'veeverdoneinmylife:
IboughtanewSaturn.IboughteveryaccessorytheyproduceinSpringhill,Tennessee,tohangonthatcar.Therewasn'tanaccessorymadethatIdidn'tbuy.Ididn'tpickthecolorandIdidn'tpickthemodel,butIpaidcashandtoldthemI'dbringJaneinonWednesdayat4:
30tomakethosetwodecisions.ItoldthemwhyIwasbuyingthecar,andthatitwasmysecretandtheywerenottorevealanythingtoher.
Tuesdaymorning,itdawnedonmethatJanealwayswantedawhitecar.IcalledoursalesconsultantatSaturn,andIaskedhimifhehada
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