UNCONDITIONAL HUMAN LOVE
A nurse called a young Marine on the phone and told him that his father was in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.
She told him the doctors said they thought his father only had a few more hours to live.
She told the Marine that he needed to get down to the hospital as soon as possible before his father died.
At two o’clock in the morning the tired Marine hurried down to the hospital where he met the nurse who brought him to the bedside of the dying old man.
"Your son is here," she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the old man opened his eyes.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, the old man dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside his oxygen tent.
He reached out his hand to the Marine and the Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones.
The Marine squeezed a message of love and encouragement to him.
The nurse brought a chair into the room so that the Marine could sit beside the old man’s bed.
All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lit room, holding the old man's hand.
He offered him words of love, encouragement, and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away from the bed and rest awhile.
However, the Marine refused to leave the old man’s side.
Whenever the nurse came into the room, the Marine was oblivious to her.
He was also oblivious to the night noises of the hospital.
He did not hear the clanking of the oxygen tank or the laughter of the night staff members as they were exchanging their greetings.
He did not hear the cries and moans of the other patients in the hospital.
Now and then the nurse heard the Marine saying a few gentle words of encouragement and love to the dying old man.
The dying man said nothing in return, he only held on tightly to the Marine’s hand, all through the night.
When the dawn of a new day arrived, the old man died.
The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.
While she did what she had to do in the room, the Marine waited outside.
Finally, she returned and started to offer words of sympathy to the Marine.
However, he interrupted what she was saying.
"Who was that man?" he asked.
The nurse was startled, "Wasn’t he your father?," she answered.
Aren’t you Peter Jones who lives on Third Avenue? I called you on the phone to be with your father.
"No, I am Peter Jones, but I live on Twelfth Street.
This isn’t my father," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."
My father lives in town and has a history of heart trouble, however you must have called me by mistake last night.
There must be another Peter Jones who is the real son of this man.
"Then why didn't you say something to me when I took you to him in his room?"
The Marine answered her and said, "I knew right away there had been a mistake.
I also knew he needed love and comfort while he was dying, but his son just wasn't here for him.
When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed with him to comfort him."
The moral of this story is the next time someone needs you .. just be there for them in their hour of crisis and need.
Stay with them awhile and bring them your comfort and love, and you will be rewarded one hundred fold by your Father in heaven for your righteous behavior.
In today’s world of self-centeredness and greed you can truly make a righteous difference for God and His Son, Jesus.
You can be a shining light for God and His Son, Jesus, on this earth if you will take the time to help somebody when they are truly in need of your mercy, charity, love, and assistance.
Postscript: The real Peter Jones on Third Street was out of town on business when his father died.
We should also remember that God will often send a stranger to comfort a person He knows and loves. God will do these things when their family members are unable to be there for them.
God can also send an angel of the light to comfort a dying person that He knows and loves.
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FOR WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS THAT NEED GOD FOR OUR CONTINUED STRENGTH AND EXISTENCE.
IF WE ARE GOING TO FEEL TRULY FULFILLED, LOVED, AND NOURISHED IN OUR LIVES, WE NEED GOD TO ASSIST US EVERYDAY, IN MANY WAYS.
IF WE ARE GOING TO FIND TRUE MEANING AND DEPTH OF PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES, WE NEED GOD TO HELP US WITH HIS HOLY SPIRIT OF COMFORT, LOVE, GUIDANCE, AND GRACE.
THEREFORE, IT IS TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP OTHER PEOPLE WHO NEED YOUR LOVE, COMFORT, AND ASSISTANCE.
THIS IS WHAT OUR LORD JESUS WOULD DO.
THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BE A BLESSING TO THEM IF YOU WANT GOD TO FAVOR YOU WITH HIS LOVING KINDNESS AND MERCY.
FOR WE WERE PUT HERE BY GOD TO SHOW COMPASSION, BROTHERLY LOVE, AND SYMPATHY TO OTHERS.
WE WERE PUT HERE ON THIS EARTH TO DISCOVER GOD, HIS SON, JESUS, AND THE KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT HE MAINTAINS AND OWNS.
THEREFORE, TRY TO BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE IN SOME LITTLE WAY TODAY!
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