Читать книгу Inspirational Short Stories - Donald Ray "Butch" Smith - Страница 12

chapter 7

NEGATIVE PEOPLE

This is a story about negative people. Did you know that there are Christian people who attend church and will say negative words to you and about you to hurt your feelings? I thought Christian people were to love everyone and especially each other, but that’s not always the case. There are Christian people who you can ask to help you in some way, and they will turn you a rude answer. There are Christian people who see you outside church and won’t speak to you, and in church, they don’t even want to hold your hand. Come on, Christian people, we are the light of the world. The sinners are watching us.

When we get down on our knees and pray to God to ask him to answer our prayers, what if he says, I’m not going to answer your prayers, because you stole, lied, you cheated in your relationship, and you did other bad things. In some cases, you didn’t do anything wrong.

What if God says he’s not going to answer your prayers because you think that you are better than the other person? You may think that you’re better than someone else because of your house, vehicle, job, clothes, looks, and the relationship that you are in. I’m here to let you know there’s no one in this world that is better than anyone else. In God’s eyesight, we are all the same.

Romans 12:16 says, “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.” When a person thinks that they are something, they are nothing, because they deceive themselves.

Romans 12:3 says, “Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Romans 15:1–2 reads, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Let everyone of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.

If you can’t say anything good about a person, don’t say anything at all. If you can’t do something good to help another person, don’t expect another person to help you when you are in need. Don’t expect God to help you.

If sinners look out for each other just as they do in a street gang, why, as Christians, can’t we have each other’s back?

I know that I sin and come short of the glory of Jesus Christ. Let me tell you I’m a healthy orange tree, and sometimes my tree produces a few rotten oranges. Negative people don’t try to make me be that rotten worm-infested plum tree because I am known for the fruit that I bear.

Everyone in the Trout Creek Baptist Church knows Jason Dewayne Hatcher, who’s now a former professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. I remember on many occasions he and his little brothers and sisters would come by the house to get cookies, candy, and food. Being around him just about every day, I would always tell him that he could be a professional basketball player someday. Unfortunately he chose football. I’m not saying that I’m responsible for him making it, but I do believe that at an early age, me instilling in him that he can be a professional athlete contributed to his success. I do the same thing with young people today. You can be that professional basketball player. You can be that professional coach. You can be that movie star. Even adults, I tell them, You should be using that singing talent. You should be using that drawing talent.

There are people who know that I’ve written two books. Did I make some money? Yes. Did I make the New York Times Best Seller’s list? No. Do you want to know my goal? Maybe it’s not important to you. My goal is to have a book on the New York Times Best Seller’s list. Do you think that I can reach it? I know many are saying No way. He’s got to be crazy. Yes, that’s right, you got to be crazy to have a big dream. Do I think that I can reach it? Yes, I do. All I have to do is to work at it. Believe in myself and believe in God. For with God, all things are possible. For all you negative people out there who said that I would never write a book, all glory goes to God. For without him, I can do nothing.

I’m not a person who’s a great English scholar, nor a person who has taken writing classes. I’m gifted from the creator and maker of the entire universe. I’m anointed by the highest God. Negative people, you may slow me down, but you can’t stop me. You may stomp me down, but I’m going to pop up somewhere else. You may hook a huge ball and chain to me, but I will drag you all the way to my finish line. As I travel down this highway to following my dream. You may throw a large rock in my pathway to stop me. You may dig a ditch for me to fall in. Let me tell you, I’m not going through you. I’m going around you. When God is for you, who can be against you? The last job I worked on I was being discussed in a conversation by my former coworkers. They were making fun of me, telling each other how will I get to Popeye’s? How will he take this certain girl out on a date? I guess he will ride her on his back? To those negative people who thought it was so funny, I’m here to let you know my Jehovah Yirei—which means the Lord, my provider—He had provided me with a car in which I didn’t have to pay a penny. Thanks to the Almighty God and thanks to Reverend Roger Green for giving me a car.

Negative people will form their opinion about you when they don’t even know you. Negative people don’t judge you by the inside, but the outside.

Negative people, I don’t fear you. I look to Jehovah Shlomi, the Lord, my peace. I look to Jehovah Rophi, the Lord, my healer. I look to Jehovah Roi, the Lord. my Shepherd.

To every man, woman, boy, girl in this world, I want to let you know I love and care about you all. Little kids living in this world, don’t let negative people stop you. The little kids of Trout Creek Baptist Church youth choir motivate me with their outstanding singing talent. I’m so proud of them. I want all of you to be the best that you can be. Put God first, and you can climb any mountain. I want you all to know that it’s not where you start that matters. It’s how you finish.

Once upon a time, when little Archie attended school, he wore holes in his clothes and barely finished high school. During his entire school days, little Archie was laughed at, talked about, and didn’t get a date with the girls.

Nowadays, that same little Archie has people all over the world buying his clothes.

Little boys and girls, if someone offer you drugs or alcohol, say no. If your friend offers drugs and alcohol, say no. A true friend will not offer you drugs and alcohol. And if so, they will not pressure you into doing it after they have asked you once. If they do get involved in these things, you need to cut away from them. They will drag you into the same ditch they are in. They also could be selling drugs without you knowing they do. The police will judge you as doing it too, just because you are hanging out with them, and you are just an innocent person.

Tell them if they want to give you something, give you some money, and then you will soon find out about that person.

My advice to all people is to be positive. Stay away from negative people. Negativism will bring fear, and with fear comes high blood pressure and other sickness. Feed your adrenalin gland with positive thoughts and see how much better you will feel and your life will be. So quit downgrading a person to make yourself look good, because when in fact you are showing the real vulnerability of yourself.