The Serenity Share Forum

LISTEN TO MY FEELINGS

Listen to my feelings...

put your ear upon my heart,

hearing more than words and actions.

Listen to my feelings...

feelings are being born,

are growing, changing,

every day and they are molding me.

Listen to the real me...

Listen to my feelings.

SEPARATE THE "ME"

Separate the "me" from what I do!

Let disapproval center only

on my actions,

not me,

so that I feel I am still loved,

still am good,

though you're angry, Dad, at what I did!

Then I will feel a sense of worth

and have the strength to change my behavior -

some of the time, at least!

LET ME BE MYSELF

Let me be myself -

grow according to my own uniqueness.

My personality, my talents

are not the same as cousin Joe's.

He knows the alphabet -

well, so what!

He also spits at me

if I beat him in a race.

Comparing us will only make us feel

as though we're being measured -

and we'd better "measure up!"

Let me be "me" and he be "he"

then happier we all shall be!

NOT THE OLDEST, NOT THE LITTLEST

I'm the "middlest" child!

Too young to do what the oldest does,

Too old to do what the littlest does -

who, by the way, took my place

So what's a "middlest" to do?

What is there special,

about me?

Not the first -

whatever I do has been seen before.

Not the baby -

who does cute things I sure can't

get away with!

I feel just short of sandwiched in!

Can you hel me find something

the others can't do or be?

So I can be proud

of the "middlest" me?

HOW DO YOU FEEL...

When you're talking

and someone keeps interrupting?

When you're being talked about,

as though you were not there?

How do you feel when you're ignored,

or laughed at when you speak?

Or when people say

"Just go away - we're busy"?

Don't you feel you're not respected -

that you do not really count?

Or don't those things happen

to grown ups?...

Only to little ones?

Just Checking In

A minister passing through his church in the

middle of the day,

decided to pause by the altar and see who came to pray.

Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle,

The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in awhile.

His shirt was kinda' shabby and his coat was worn and frayed.

The man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed, each noon time came this chap,

each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear,

he decided to stop the man and ask him, "Whatcha' doin' here?"

The old man, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour.

Lunch-time was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see, 'cause the factory is so far away;

As I kneel here talkin' to the Lord, this is kinda' what I say:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.

SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKIN' IN."

The minister feeling foolish, told Jim that was fine.

He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks." He hurried to the door.

The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love, met with Jesus there.

As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.

SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKIN' IN."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come.

As more days passed with out Jim, he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried, but he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them, brought changes in the ward.

His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad,

when no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed, he voiced the nurse's concern:

No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and said with a winsome smile:

"The nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that all the while

everyday at noon He's here, a dear friend of mine, you see,

He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

I ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,

AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKIN' IN."

If this blesses you, pass it on!

Love, Friendship and {{{{HUGZZZZZZ}}}

Gayle Thank you Gayle for sending this touching story.