BE SPECIAL TO OTHERS
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit.
All the other frogs gathered around pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the
two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to
jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop,
that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other
frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as
hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just
die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said,
"Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought
they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is
down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful
of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words....it is
sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can
speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special
is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
Be Special to others.
THE WOMAN'S PLACE THAT'S GOT TO CHANGE
Barbara Walters had done a story on gender roles in Kuwait several
years before the Gulf War, and she noted then that women customarily walked about 10 feet behind their husbands. She returned to Kuwait
recently and observed that the men now walked several yards behind their wives.
Ms. Walters approached one of the women for an explanation. "This is marvelous," she said. "What enabled women here to achieve this
reversal of roles?"
The Kuwaiti woman replied, "Land mines!"
-- From Gus Mercado
Dallas, Texas