Why is it...

[Isaiah 6:8]

to us, until they are gone?... This is the second time in my life when I have received the news of a persons death that was close to me. It hit me like a tone of bricks. Even though we mainly played Fooseball together, we did form a bond. He was an amazing guy, I will miss. I was going to send him a hello message on Facebook last night. . the day he died.

[refugepsa91]

Ya know, what a timely topic!! I was just sharing with the other moderators my "lesson"....God has corrected me twice now over this. Your "why is it question"...just struck me

I've decided to share my lesson....it was private....but not anymore:

God sure does have a way of correcting us in our hurried lives, impatience and irritated thoughts.

Our town ( I think every town has one) has a 61 year old man that has been a fixture for his whole life. When he was 12 he was ran over by a car, he suffered head injuries, then after that he had a barn beam fall on his head. Dave Dill is his name and he has brain injuries that make him a whole lot different from what "us humans" consider normal...but Dave is normal in every sense of the word...afterall "normal" is different to everyone right? We just have to expand our perceptions. The Lord loves him no matter his mannerisms and quirks.

Dave likes to walk the town. He stays up all night, he is train obsessed, he only sleeps after the sun comes up, then he is out about town again by noon. He visits every business that has accepted him since he was a child. He remembers and tells tales of all the business's that are gone now. I've known Dave for years and years, I worked at a party store in town when I was a teenager and have known him since then.

He comes in my store everyday at least 4 times a day. I hear the same stories over and over again. He (I"m sorry to be blunt) farts loudly in front of other customers and when I chide him for it he explains patiently to me that it is a "Perfectly normal bodily function" I admit I keep lysol at my register and when he does this I chase him spraying his behind! So he has cut way down on that so called "bodily function"

He explains to me everytime when there is a jet entrail in the sky that it is the AirForce protecting us. If I say it is a passenger jet..he just glares at me and tells me to "shut my dirty mouth"....his favorite saying by the way...

Other business owners who've known Dave as long or longer than me are shocked that he brings me his train magazines and lets me actually touch them. He even leaves them with me to to read a paticular article that he thinks I should. He brings me his prize gladiolas in summer, which makes these other people gasp in shock and awe, he will allow NO ONE near them, but yet he cuts them for me to keep my store bright he says.

Twice now I have grumbled to myself and was on the verge of impatience, afterall I have so much to get done, and its so hard to just stop and listen to him sometimes...I have distributors on the phone wanting my orders and customers wanting to tan and rent movies....he doesn't care he will stand there and wait....grumble, grumble and a few mean thoughts of "why can't he just leave me alone for a bit?"

I was once on the verge of telling him in no uncertain terms that he would have to cut his visits down to once a day....I was adament that it needed to be done. Well God had other plans...the Lord sent me a dream that night...Dave was crying in that dream, someone had hurt him, just plain broke his heart and he was standing in front of me crying! I actually woke up seething mad...ready to take on the whole town because Dave was crying...then I woke up fully and felt a horrible shame because I remembered what my plan was for that day...I asked God for forgiveness and vowed to never think it again. But because I am human I got to that unGodly point again today. I'm so ashamed, I was impatient and thought grumbling thoughts everytime he walked in the door...then tonight before closing he walks in with a brown paper bag...inside is a Poinsetta plant he got for me...his exact words "I got this for you Angeeee(yes thats how he pronounces my name) because it will make the store and bright and because you are such my goodest friend" I reached out and took his hand with tears in my eyes and cry to the Lord to please forgive me......I thanked him and told him he was my friend too.

Lord forgive me as I sit here and wallow in guilt/burden so heavy that I'm crying. I ask the Lord to help this lesson stick, may I forever smile when he walks in. May I never take Dave for granted or get frustrated, may the Lord give me the tools to always LOVE him as I should...

Thanks for listening....

I guess your topic Isaiah....also taught me NOT to miss opportunities...

thank you! Prayers to you for comfort and peace!

[Guest LadyC]

isaiah, i'm sorry about the loss of your friend! i'll lift up his wife and children in prayer. and you.

[2Joyful]

Isiah, I'm sorry to hear about your friend and will pray for comfort during this time...

for you and his family.

Refugepsa, thanks for a wonderful message!

[Isaiah 6:8]

Ya know, what a timely topic!! I was just sharing with the other moderators my "lesson"....God has corrected me twice now over this. Your "why is it question"...just struck me

I've decided to share my lesson....it was private....but not anymore:

God sure does have a way of correcting us in our hurried lives, impatience and irritated thoughts.

Our town ( I think every town has one) has a 61 year old man that has been a fixture for his whole life. When he was 12 he was ran over by a car, he suffered head injuries, then after that he had a barn beam fall on his head. Dave Dill is his name and he has brain injuries that make him a whole lot different from what "us humans" consider normal...but Dave is normal in every sense of the word...afterall "normal" is different to everyone right? We just have to expand our perceptions. The Lord loves him no matter his mannerisms and quirks.

Dave likes to walk the town. He stays up all night, he is train obsessed, he only sleeps after the sun comes up, then he is out about town again by noon. He visits every business that has accepted him since he was a child. He remembers and tells tales of all the business's that are gone now. I've known Dave for years and years, I worked at a party store in town when I was a teenager and have known him since then.

He comes in my store everyday at least 4 times a day. I hear the same stories over and over again. He (I"m sorry to be blunt) farts loudly in front of other customers and when I chide him for it he explains patiently to me that it is a "Perfectly normal bodily function" I admit I keep lysol at my register and when he does this I chase him spraying his behind! So he has cut way down on that so called "bodily function"

He explains to me everytime when there is a jet entrail in the sky that it is the AirForce protecting us. If I say it is a passenger jet..he just glares at me and tells me to "shut my dirty mouth"....his favorite saying by the way...

Other business owners who've known Dave as long or longer than me are shocked that he brings me his train magazines and lets me actually touch them. He even leaves them with me to to read a paticular article that he thinks I should. He brings me his prize gladiolas in summer, which makes these other people gasp in shock and awe, he will allow NO ONE near them, but yet he cuts them for me to keep my store bright he says.

Twice now I have grumbled to myself and was on the verge of impatience, afterall I have so much to get done, and its so hard to just stop and listen to him sometimes...I have distributors on the phone wanting my orders and customers wanting to tan and rent movies....he doesn't care he will stand there and wait....grumble, grumble and a few mean thoughts of "why can't he just leave me alone for a bit?"

I was once on the verge of telling him in no uncertain terms that he would have to cut his visits down to once a day....I was adament that it needed to be done. Well God had other plans...the Lord sent me a dream that night...Dave was crying in that dream, someone had hurt him, just plain broke his heart and he was standing in front of me crying! I actually woke up seething mad...ready to take on the whole town because Dave was crying...then I woke up fully and felt a horrible shame because I remembered what my plan was for that day...I asked God for forgiveness and vowed to never think it again. But because I am human I got to that unGodly point again today. I'm so ashamed, I was impatient and thought grumbling thoughts everytime he walked in the door...then tonight before closing he walks in with a brown paper bag...inside is a Poinsetta plant he got for me...his exact words "I got this for you Angeeee(yes thats how he pronounces my name) because it will make the store and bright and because you are such my goodest friend" I reached out and took his hand with tears in my eyes and cry to the Lord to please forgive me......I thanked him and told him he was my friend too.

Lord forgive me as I sit here and wallow in guilt/burden so heavy that I'm crying. I ask the Lord to help this lesson stick, may I forever smile when he walks in. May I never take Dave for granted or get frustrated, may the Lord give me the tools to always LOVE him as I should...

Thanks for listening....

I guess your topic Isaiah....also taught me NOT to miss opportunities...

thank you! Prayers to you for comfort and peace!

Very cool

The Lord has been putting something on my heart. soon to be posted. This death strangely confirms it, you''ll understand when you read it!

[Isaiah 6:8]

Thanks lady, Joyful!

[anitarose]

to us, until they are gone?... This is the second time in my life when I have received the news of a persons death that was close to me. It hit me like a tone of bricks. Even though we mainly played Fooseball together, we did form a bond. He was an amazing guy, I will miss. I was going to send him a hello message on Facebook last night. . the day he died.

I know how that feels---first with Alexander's brother, whom I had never met....and now with my nephew's grandmother, whom I knew for most of MY life as well...I feel the same in both instances: I feel bad but I couldn't do anything for either of them. All because I don't have a job or a car....sigh...

[nebula]

Why is it... That we don't realize how important someone is...until it's gone?

Being introverted, I can tell you that it takes work and effort and energy for me to reach out to people.

I have to discipline myself to express gratitude, to compliment people when I find something I like about them - even if just a necklace they are wearing. Opening up conversations is still hard for me - mainly because there is nothing in my mind to say. I care about people but getting out of my shell is difficult.

There may be other things, but I know that these at least are my hang-ups.

So what I'm saying is that if you really want to know the answer, you have to search your own heart for what your reasons are.

[ladypeartree]

and

I think we ALL need to pray that we treat every day as if it is our last one here on earth ( some day it will be ) and everybody as if we are going to miss them after today ( some day that may well be true too ) .. the hardest words to bear are the " ...if only "

[stacey c]

Sorry to hear about your friend Isaiah. I found out last night on FB that a dear friend of mine died yesterday also.

I was supposed to go visit them last Sunday and never made it. This feeling of not being able to say goodbye is horrible.