December 6, 2017 www.PositiveChristianity.org presents Positive Daily Inspiration DISCOVERING FRIENDSHIP "Now is the acceptable time." 2 Corinthians 6:2 "A man's growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends." Ralph Waldo Emerson There is a story about a man who was exploring some caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled up some clay and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, to pass the time, he would throw the clay balls, one at a time, out into the ocean as far as he could throw. He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone. Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found hundreds of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left, then it struck him... Instead of hundreds of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home thousands, but he just threw them away. You know, sometimes, it's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see just the crusty clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it; we see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person by God. "Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends." Shirley MacLaine There is a treasure in each and every one of us. The Bible says we are wonderfully made. I don't think God means just our physical bodies. I think God means our spiritual selves, which are sometimes hidden from others by the “earthen vessel”. But if you take the time to get to know that person, and if you ask God to show you that person the way God sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. "Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." Aristotle The glory of friendship is not only the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he or she discovers that someone else believes in them and is willing to trust them with their friendship. POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love, Where there is injury, pardon Where there is doubt, faith, Where there is despair, hope, Where there is darkness, light, Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, not so much to be understood as to understand, not so much to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we awake to eternal life. (St. Francis of Assisi) POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: I am successful; I am lovable, I have wisdom; I am an asset to anyone because God within me works through me! POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "Let every man or woman here, if you never hear me again, remember this, that if you wish to be great at all, you must begin where you are and with what you are. He who would be great anywhere must first be great in his own Philadelphia." Russell H. Conwell Reply - if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will pray with you daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer. GOD BLESS YOU, Make It a Great Day !_______Christopher Ian Chenoweth