Stories and Illustrations to Soak in and Read to Your Family

FIVE SPONGES
author unknown

       There are five sponges laying on your kitchen counter. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned, but you can't tell by looking. They all look the same. So, what do you do? As you squeeze the first sponge you see that cola comes out, and you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one. Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner. That one was used in the bathroom. In the third sponge you find motor oil. Someone cleaned the garage. In the fourth sponge, baby power puffs out. The baby's nursery was cleaned with that one. In the last sponge is floor wax. That was the one you used on the hall floor. As you lay the last one down, you look again at their similarity.  They all look the same until they are squeezed. Christians are the same!
       As life squeezes us, different things come out: anger, revenge, tears, remorse, greed, untruth, lust and finally, from one saint, pours forth the love of Christ. Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in. Stay in the Word daily and be in continuous prayer so that when life puts the squeeze on you, Jesus, and Jesus alone will shine forth. As you think upon this, ask yourself, if I was squeezed, would Jesus and Jesus alone shine forth?

VOICE MAIL
Author unknown

I have learned to live with voice mail as a necessary part of modern life.  But, I have often wondered, what if God decided to install voice mail?  Imagine praying and hearing this:

"Thank you for calling your Father's House.

Please select one of the following four options:
Press 1 for requests;
Press 2 for thanksgiving;
Press 3 for complaints;
Press 4 for all others."

What if God used the familiar excuse, "All angels are helping other customers right now.  Please stay on the line.  Your call will be answered in the order it was received."   Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses as you call on God? "If  you'd  like to speak with Gabriel,  Press 1.  For Michael, Press 2. For any other angel, Press 3. If you'd like King David to sing a Psalm for you.  Press 4.   To find out if a loved one has been assigned to heaven, enter his or her Social Security number.  For reservations at your Father's House, press the letters J-O-H-N, followed by the numbers 3-1-6.  For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and  where Noah's ark is, wait until you get here.  Our computers show that you have called once today already.  Please hang up immediately.  This office is closed for the weekend.  Please call again on Monday after 8:00 a.m."

Thank God, you can't call Him too often!  You only need to ring once, and he hears you. You never get a busy signal.   He takes each call and knows each caller personally.
                                                    

Aren't you glad He's your Savior and you have the opportunity of introducing Him to your children, as well as others?