Monday Manna

Happy Monday Sweet Friends,

Did you have a nice weekend???

I sure hope so!!!

Our's was good....pretty quiet for the most part.

Worked on Thanksgiving cards, did a lil bit of

Christmas shopping, played some cards, worked

on making some simmering potpourri, went to church

 and at the present that is all I can think of!!  lol

On Friday I read a story I just have to share

with you...........it is from a book by Billy Graham's

daughter, Anne Graham Lotz.   I actually read most of it
 years back,  about 4 yrs. I'd say, but came across it a
 few weeks ago in the armoire,  and realized there were

some chapters that I hadn't finished,  so decided

to work on that,  so this excerpt is from one of 

those chapters.  It made me cry...but in a very

good way,  because it is a poignant reminder.....

  of what I am not going to say because I don't want

to take anything away from the story.

It may seem a bit long,  and will probably take

about 3 minutes to read..........but believe me

it is worth the read!!

Thanks for stopping in!

Happy Reading!!

Loves,  Blessings and Hugs, 

Nellie


************



He was just a young boy living on the streets in the slums of
 London. But Geoffrey had heard that a fiery American
 evangelist named D. L. Moody would preaching the evening
 service of a church on the other side of the city and he wanted
 to hear him. On the day of the meeting, Geoffrey set out to find
 the church. He dodged rumbling carriage wheels, slipped through 
crowded thoroughfares, and wove his way through hordes of
 scurrying pedestrians. Along the way he helped himself to an apple
 from a grocer’s cart, narrowly escaping the irate shopkeeper’s
 angry grasp. Finally just as the sun began to set, he looked up
 and saw his destination. He halted in his tracks to gape at it in awe.


 The church was regally situated on a hill, its stained-glass
 windows reflecting the setting sun with a golden iridescent 
glow that looked like the very glory of heaven. In the stillness 
of the early evening air, he could hear hundreds of voices
 rising and falling with the thunderous swell of organ pipes
 in a stirring cadence of praise. The sight and sound seemed
 to reach out and envelope his fiercely independent, yet lonely
little heart, awakening a longing that felt like homesickness.

Geoffrey didn’t hesitate. He bounded up the long, sweeping
 stair-case that led to the massive wooden front door. ]ust as
 he was about to enter, a big hand descended out of nowhere,
 grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around, and inquired
 sharply “]ust where do you think you’re going, laddie?”
 Geoffrey responded stiffly but truthfully
“I heard Dr. Moody was going to preach here tonight. I’ve
 walked all the way across London to hear him." The big
 doorman looked down at the little boy with uncombed hair,
 unwashed face, unclean clothes, and unshod feet, then stated
 emphatically “Not you! You’re too dirty to go inside!"
 The doorman then folded his arms across his big chest,
spread his thick legs, and stood squarely in front of the
 door, blocking the entrance.



Geoffrey lifted his little chin, squared his little shoulders, glared
back at the doorkeeper, then stalked off the front steps.
 He was confident he could find another way into the church.
But as he walked around the building, he found all the other
doors solidly locked, and the windows were too high for him
 to even attempt an entry.  He ended up back on the front steps
 where he plopped down in weariness and discouragement.
 In spite of his street-cultivated toughness, tears began to trickle
 down his grimy cheeks.

Suddenly his attention was caught by a black carriage that
 pulled up to the foot of the steps. A very distinguished-looking
 gentleman in topcoat and hat climbed out, brandishing a walking
 cane, and began to briskly climb the stairs. When he reached
Geoffrey’s step, he glanced over and noticed the curious interest
 in the young boy’s eyes and the tear stains on his cheeks.
 He stopped abruptly and inquired, “What’s wrong?"

For a moment Geoffrey started to shrug and say “Nothin’.” But
something in the man’s demeanor caused Geoffrey to blurt out,
 “I came to hear Dr. Moody preach, but he says I’m too dirty
 to go inside,” and he gestured toward the doorman.
The big man looked down at the little boy then extended his
hand. “Here, take my hand,” the man offered. Geoffrey took a
long, hard look at the man, then let his eyes focus on the man’s
extended hand. Slowly, he lifted his grimy little hand and placed
it in that of the stranger, who clasped it tightly and invited
Geoffrey to “come with me.” And Geoffrey did.

Hand in hand they walked up the long, sweeping staircase.
 When they came to the huge door, the very same doorkeeper
 who had formerly forbidden the boy to enter, now hastily
opened the door wide. With the man still gripping his hand,
 Geoffrey walked through the open door and down the center
 aisle of the church already filled with worshipers, until they
came to the very front row With every eye on them, the big man
 seated Geoffrey there in front of the entire congregation. Then the
 big man walked on up the steps to the platform, stood behind
 the pulpit, and began to preach! The man was D. L. Moody!‘
The only reason Geoffrey was allowed inside the church that
evening was because he was holding the hand of D. L. Moody. His
acceptance in that church was based solely on his identification and
relationship with the great preacher.

After the long journey of life, we are going to look up and see
heaven. We’re going to hear voices lifted in songs of praise. We’re
going to see the glory of God radiating from within, and we’re
 going to long for home. But we will be forbidden to enter. Heaven
 is closed to us because we are too dirty in our sin to enter it.

However, because ]esus found us in our hopeless, helpless state
 and offered us His hand at the Cross, we can be welcomed into
 heaven.  If we accept His offer and put our hand of faith in His, 
He will walk with us hand in hand, not only through the remainder
 of our journey but through the gates of heaven that will be
 opened wide for us.

We will be as welcomed and accepted in heaven as He is, solely
because of our relationship and identification with Him. Praise God!
]esus is the One, and the only One; Who makes heaven available
 to the sinner, not only through the cross, but also
 through His resurrection.


(Excerpt from Anne Graham Lotz book,
"Just Give Me Jesus")


Joy To You!!