A man’s daughter had asked the local priest to come and pray with her father. When the priest arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.
“I guess, you were expecting me.” He said. — ‘No, who are you?’ said the father.
The priest told him his name and then remarked, “I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up!”….’Oh yeah, the Chair’…said the bedridden man.
‘Would you mind closing the door?’ Puzzeled, the priest shut the door. ‘ I have never told anyone this, not even to my daughter.’ Said the man, but all my life I have never known how to pray. At temple, I used to hear the priest talk about prayer, but it went right above my head,’ I abandoned any attempt at prayer’ the old man continued…until one day, four years ago, my best friend said to me, “prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with GOD. Here is what I suggest, sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you and in faith see GOD on the chair.’ It’s not spooky because he promised, I will be with you always. Then just speak to him in the same way you are doing with me right now.’
So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.
I am careful though if my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.’
Then the priest prayed with him, anointed him with oil and returned to the temple.
The priest was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey.
Two days later, the daughter called to tell the priest that her daddy had died that afternoon. ‘Did he die in peace?’ he asked. ‘Yes, when I left the house about two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me how much he loved me and kissed on the cheek.’ When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death.
Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair besides the bed. — what do you make of that?’
The priest wiped a tear from his eye and said, I wish we could all go like that.
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
The will of GOD will never take you where the GRACE OF GOD will not protect you.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Soulful New Year!
(Above story was received on social media)
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कैसी अजीब शर्त है दीदार के लिए
आँखें जो बंद हों तो वो जल्वा दिखाई दे — कृष्ण बिहारी “नूर“
kaisī ajiib shart hai dīdār ke liye
āñkheñ jo band hoñ to vo jalva dikhā.ī de — KRISHN BIHARI “NOOR“
I can see you, only when my eyes are closed.