Small yet a Ripple Of Change in many lives

On a cold freezing winter evening, someone left an eight-week old male kitten in the outside book drop at the Spencer Public Library. The poor little kitten was being shoved inside the box on the wall with all the other books. The staff found the badly frostbitten and filthy kitten and they thought he was grey. But, after a good wash under the filth, he was a beautiful orange kitten. The library director Vicki Myron decided to take care of this kitten who was then eight week old. The story of Dewey Readmore Books was birthed on November 18, 1987. 

The act of Vicki Myron who took care of the Dewey for a good 18 years is something to be applauded. It begins with a birthed of desire to take care of this kitten. Little Dewey grew as a cat and a public affection to people in Spencer and Iowa and Beyond. His story of being shoved in a the book drop box and how he was determined to live on after that. Vicki Myron had fought for this little kitty to live in the public library. He became the permanent resident of the Spencer Public Library. 

Dewey: The Small-Town Library
Cat Who Touched the World

The title of the book tells it all. How did it happen? He began by winning hearts of the people in Spencer. He began SMALL. 

After reading his story written by Vicki Myron, this is my thoughts.
(if can, you should read the story for yourself)

Dewey in comparable to a human being is small and may not have been able to accomplish "success" in the measure of human beings. In our measurement, he is just like any cat that laze around and demands our attention. Dewey is a different cat, although by just reading from a third party point of view. His story gives light on what matters most is the LOVE FOR OTHERS. Both Vicki and Dewey shared the most intimate relationship of loving one another. Through the toughest time in life for both, they stood by one another. They have shown a LOVE that is not self seeking or self serving. Through the lens of a cat who do have the intellect of a human can love humans to its best. Through the lens of Vicki, she sacrificially give and shared life with Dewey. That MINUTE ACT of LOVE stands out strong which made Dewey endearing to many who have met him or have not met him.

This cat changed the town Spencer in Iowa. Its story reached across the globe: all the way to Japan. What did it do? Love others and living to its purpose by being a cat. That is an inspiration. A small cat who can be lost in the sight of many made a change. 

Bringing it back to our human senses. What then does this all mean? Sometimes, being human, we feel that way, which is being engulfed in the sight of many and feeling small. We feel like nothing in the things we do. It is YOU and I can make a DIFFERENCE by being faithful in the little things. The little things are to love others and living out our purpose.

It may be small and unnoticed but believe me, like Dewey it creates a ripple of change in many lives. Friends, begin small today by loving others and dream big in our PURPOSE in life. 

Love birthed Faith, Faith birthed Courage

Faith is being sure what we hope for and being certain of what is not seen.

Hebrews 11:1, NIV

When we know the LOVE that gives peace, assurance and hope, we can be sure of the things that we hope for. Things in the future are hard for us to perceive. Just like this game shows I heard on Red FM, ‘The Box’. You are required to answer a simple question. Then, you are given two choices; cash or the box. In the box, there is a surprise GIFT. It may be an EXTRAVANGANT GIFT, or a simple gift such as two bottles of the 500 ml water. Many had participated. Many had win and brought home the CASH! I remembered one man sighing when he had discovered that in the box was a trip to a beautiful island, compared to the load of cash at hand.

Obviously our life is not like the game show. However, we could see some similarities that we often go for the things that could be SEEN or EXPLAIN, rather than the UNSEEN or UNEXPLAINABLE. We discount our faith to only things that could be SEEN with physical eyes. Why? Because we are afraid. We have fears that if we put our hope to the things unseen, that our lives will be out of control.

This fear is genuine, because it is into the unknown. When you and I placed our trust in Him, our unseen and unexplainable future is certain. Because it is there we find assurance that no matter where we go, we will have peace because He is with us. 

One day, there is a man lying on his death bed. There is a Christian doctor who worked at the hospital, who hopes that he can share the gospel with him. So, day and day, the doctor will go and check on him and have conversation with him. Soon after, the man on the death bed asked the doctor, “Do you believe there is heaven and hell?” The doctor caught by surprised, looked at the man and said, “Yes, I do.” The man replied, “Do you know where you are going?” The doctor said, “I know where I will go, that is heaven.” The man who had bad experiences with Christians, quickly challenged the doctor, “How do you know? How can you be sure? How sure you are going to heaven?” He added on, “If you can prove to me, I will give my life to Jesus.” The doctor was lost of words. So, he went home and prayed and seek the Lord. Few days passed by. He still haven’t gotten his answer to the questions of the man.

Taken from http://www.sorrywatch.com/2013/07/30/apologies-in-medicine-a-post-by-an-actual-doctor/

Now, this doctor has a dog. His dog is a faithful dog. Everytime, he comes home from work, his dog will be so happy to see him. As he goes about doing house chores, his dog followed him back and forth in the house. One night, as he was seeking the Lord, he looked at his dog and finally gotten his answer. 

The next day, he got permission from the hospital to bring his dog to visit this man. He got the dog all clean and sterilized. So, he went to the man’s room. Knocked on the door, and enter with his dog. He did his usual checks on him. The man who was curious, looked at the doctor and asked, “Why did you bring a dog here?” The doctor smiled and looked at him, “This is your answer to the questions that day.” The man was puzzled. Then, the doctor explained, “You asked me how can I be so sure where I am going in the after-life? I thought for days and sought the LORD but I didn’t find a solid answer to tell you. So, one day when I was resting, and my dog was by my side, then I realized something. My dog is a faithful dog. Every time I come home after work, it will greet me with smiles and followed me whole-hearted back and forth in the house. Today, I have brought my dog to an unknown place. Instead, of being frightened of its new surroundings, it calmly follow me in and out of my office and now in your room. It is not afraid, because my dog knows I am here with him. Same goes to my faith in Christ. I will not be afraid where I will be going after this life, because I know I will be with Him. With Him by my side, I am comforted.”

The man eyes welled up with tears.” May I have this kind of assurance that you have?” asked the man. The doctor puts his arms around the man and prayed.

Am I making this story up? No, absolutely no. It is a testimony of a friend. Thus, when we know WHO we LOVE and have the communion with HIM, then our LOVE will birth FAITH in our life. With this FAITH, we will be COURAGEOUS to live life in accordance to Him, by Him and through Him.

LOVE, the greatest of all

Love birthed Faith, Faith birthed Courage.

-Nick Vujicic-

LOVE has become something that is cliché or even weak in the eyes of many. This has to be REDEEMED in today’s world. LOVE is the GREATEST of all that gives u strength, assurance and courage to pull through. I am not talking about human love. Human love fails, but there is one that never will fail us, that is God’s love. Because of this perfect LOVE from GOD, then we can have FAITH that He will never fail us, and from there, it will birthed out in us COURAGE to put our words in actions.

Taken from http://mikyunglim.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/proverbs-31-30-29-28/

Psalm 8:3-5 [NIV]

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

What is man that you are mindful of him,

The son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower that the heavenly beings

And crowed him with glory and honor.

He is an ALMIGHTY GOD. Who are we that He care for us? Simple. It is because of the LOVE He had given to us that He made us and crowned us with glory and honor. HIS LOVE surpasses our logic understanding. 

He could have created MAN programmed to LOVE HIM no matter what. Instead, He gave us a choice. He first showed us LOVE. In our minute understanding, we have to choose whether we want to reciprocate the LOVE that He has given us, to Him. When we learned to LOVE HIM with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind and with all our strength, our entire focus will be on Him. Not because we are forced to do so, but we are delighted to do so. Not because we don't have a mind of our own, but we have discovered something greater and more valuable than gold and silver. To love Him, we cannot do it out of own, but we have to rely on Him to LOVE Him. This is because our love can turn out selfish and deceitful, because of our human nature.

                              He has given his LOVE for us, will we open our hearts to accept Him?

LOVING someone takes time to grow. It's a long process, but a meaningful and heart-warming experiences.