Coffee Chat

Two men, Mike and Graham, were talking together over a cup of coffee. Mike was telling Graham about how his brother had just died suddenly and had left a house full of junk that had to be cleared away.

“There was nothing of value there,” said Mike, “Stuart was always a bit of a hoarder and would never throw anything away. Magazines, books, records, Stu had hundreds of them.” Graham, who was a collector at heart, pricked up his ears.

“Books?” he said, feeling curious, “I don’t suppose he had any old books.”

“Oh there were plenty of old books,” came the reply, “but I’d never heard of half of them.”

“Really?” said Graham.

“Yes. There was one scruffy old thing – a Bible – somebody named Guten- something had printed it, but it was in some sort of old English that I couldn’t read”

“Not Gutenberg!” exclaimed the book lover in horror. “That Bible was one of the first books ever printed.  Why, a copy of it recently sold for over two million pounds.”

“Well this one wouldn’t,” said Mike with conviction. “It was ruined.  Somebody called Martin Luther had scribbled all over it in German.”

I doubt if this story is true – although perhaps it is.  After all, people so often have something of worth within their grasp and fail to realise its true value. A Gutenberg Bible would indeed be a much sought-after prize and would sell at a very high price.

But what, at the end of the day, determines value? The Bible in our story would have a great value but only because somebody, somewhere, truly wanted it for its rarity or its antiquity.  Something’s worth is represented by what someone is willing to give for it.

So if you want to find something of true worth, just go and look in the mirror.  For God places a great value on you as an individual.  The Bible – not just a Gutenberg, but any Bible – tells us that God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son.  Although the verse speaks of the world as a whole, the giving was on a personal level.  God gave His Son to die a shameful death on the cross because He loved and valued you and me as an individuals.

I repeat what I said earlier - Something’s worth is represented by what someone is willing to give for it.  If God gave His Son for you, think how precious you are to Him.

DAILY MESSAGES WITH MEANING (03/09/24)

Written by STEPHEN TRESEDER 

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

Have you ever thought about your hands?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

An old man sat feebly on a park bench. He did not move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When a middle-aged man sat down beside him he did not acknowledge his presence and the longer he sat, the more the middle-aged man wondered if the old man was okay. Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, he asked him if he was okay. The old man raised his head, looked at him and smiling said in a clear strong voice, “Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking. Have you ever really looked at your hands?”

The middle-aged man slowly opened his own hands and stared down at them. He turned them over trying to figure out the point the old man was making.  Then the old man smiled and related this story:

“Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shrivelled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler, I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life. They have been dirty, scrapped and raw, swollen and bent.