Hi Joynetters, This is a very special story i was forwarded, i couldnt keep it to myself..
Perhaps we can also learn to give some time for ourselves and our loved ones Love and prayers Ravi >"The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the >quiet >solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the >unbounded joy of >not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours >of a Saturday morning are >most enjoyable. > >A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the kitchen with a >steaming cup of >coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as >a >typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to >hand >you from time to time. Let me tell you about it. > >I turned the volume up on my >radio in order to listen to a Saturday >morning talk show. I heard an older sounding >chap with a golden voice. You >know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the >broadcasting business >himself. He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone >named >"Tom". > >I was intrigued and sat down to listen to what he had to say: > >>"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they p! ay > you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so >much. > >Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a >week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital." > >He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me >keep a good perspective on my own priorities." And that's when he began to >explain his theory of a "thousand marbles." > >"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average >person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live >less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years." >"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the >number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. > >Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part." > >"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any >detail", he went on, "and by that time I had l! ived through over >twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be >seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy." > >"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended >up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them >home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in >my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one >marble out and thrown it away." > >"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the >really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time >here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight." > >"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my >lovely wife out for breakfast. > >This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if >I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. > >And the one! thing we can all use is a little more time." > >"It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your >loved ones, and I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!" > >You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's >moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us >all a lot to think about. I had planned to do some work that morning, then >go to the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. > >"C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." > >"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's >just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. > >Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some >marbles." > >HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND MAY ALL SATURDAYS BE SPECIAL!" Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now =============================================================================== This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===============================================================================
