Morse Code

Today my pastor told this story and I found it online to share with you.

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.

The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office and walked right in.

Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified. Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled."

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"

The employer said, "I'm sorry, but all the time you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his."

We live in a world that is full of chaos and clatter, like that office. People are distracted and unable to hear the still, small voice of God as He speaks in creation, in the Scriptures, or in the life and work of Jesus Christ. Are you tuned into God's voice? Do you hear Him when He speaks to you? Are you listening? "This is my Son, whom I love...Listen to Him..."

Author Unknown

Lately I've been having dreams of people from my past. Some people I never even knew that well, but still I dream of them. When I wake up, I find myself praying for them. Once, as I was stepping into the bathtub, my son's colorful alphabet letters lay askew on the bottom of the tub. Strange how my mind works, but immediately I thought they spelled the initials of an old friend. Silly, you might say. Even so, I couldn't help but pray for that person. What if they were in dire need of a prayer warrior at that moment? There must be a reason that God places people in your dreams, on your mind, and in your heart.

Everyone has someone in their past who has hurt them. That person probably comes to mind more often than you'd like. I used to kick myself when that happened, thinking I needed to get over it already and move on. Unfortunately the scars of negative moments in your life stick with you long after the wounds have healed. Instead of being like a washed pig going back to wallow in the mud, I've decided to pray for the people in my past if and when they cross my mind. (I'm not advocating being mean to people to get prayers. Haha.) I've just noticed that praying for my enemies is a way to keep me from being sad or bitter when I think of them. (Matt. 5:43-48)