Mom's Empty Chair


MOM'S EMPTY  CHAIR

A  woman's daughter had asked the local  minister
To come and pray  with her  mother.
When the  minister  arrived,
He found  the woman lying in bed with her  head
Propped up on two  pillows.

An  empty chair sat beside her  bed.
The minister assumed  that the  woman

Had been  informed of his  visit.
'I  guess you were expecting me, he  said.

'No,  who are you?' said the  mother.
The minister told  her 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  woman.
'Would you mind  closing the  door?
Puzzled,  the minister shut the  door.
'I have never told  anyone  this,
Not even my  daughter,' said the  woman.

'But  all of my life I have  never
Known how to  pray.
At church I used to  hear the pastor talk  about  prayer,
But it went right over my  head.'

I  abandoned any attempt at  prayer,'
The old woman  continued,  '
Until one day  four years ago, my best friend  said to  me,
Prayer is just a simple  matter
Of having a  conversation with  Jesus.
Here is what I  suggest.
'Sit down in a  chair;
Place an empty chair  in front of  you,
And in  faith see Jesus 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're 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'm  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.'

The  minister was deeply moved by the story  and
Encouraged the old woman  to continue on the  journey.
Then he prayed with  her, anointed  her
With  oil,
And returned  to the  church..

Two  nights later the daughter  called
To tell the minister  that her  mama
Had died that  afternoon.
Did she die in  peace?' he  asked.

Yes,  when I left the house about two  o'clock,
She called me over  to her  bedside,
Told me she  loved me and kissed me on the  cheek.
When I got back from  the store an hour  later,
I  found her.

But  there was something strange about her  death.
Apparently, just  before Mom  died,
She leaned  over and rested her head on the  chair
Beside the bed. What  do you make of  that?'

The  minister wiped a tear from his eye and  said,
'I wish we could all  go like  that.'

Just  send this to four people or  more,
And do not break this,  please.

Prayer  is one of the best free gifts we  receive.

I  asked God for water, He gave me an  ocean.*
I asked God for a  flower, He gave me a  garden.*
I asked God for a  friend, He gave me all of  YOU...
If God brings you to  it, He will bring you  through it.

Happy  moments, praise  God.
Difficult moments, seek  God.
Quiet moments, worship  God
Painful moments, trust  God.
Every moment, thank  God.

Pass  this message to as many friends as you'd like.
Except you and  me.



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