206 Sermon Illustrations on Praise

There was a man converted here some years ago, and he was just full of praise. He was living in the light all the time. We might be in the darkness, but he was always in the light. He used to preface everything he said in the meeting with "praise God." One night he came to the meeting with his finger all bound up. He had cut it, and cut it pretty bad, too. Well, I wondered how he would praise God for this; but he got up and said, "I have cut my finger, but, praise God, I didn't cut it off." And so, if things go against you, just think they might be a good deal worse.

I have found people who were poor in this world's goods, in bad health, and yet continually praising God. I can take you to a poor, burdened one who has not been off her bed for ten years, and yet she praising Him more than hundreds of thousands of Christians. Her chamber seems to be just the ante-room of heaven. It seems as if that woman had just all the secrets of heaven. Her soul is full of the love of God, full of gladness, and she is poor. Like Elijah at the brook of Cherith, she is just fed by the Almighty; God provides for all her wants. Any man that knows God can trust Him and praise Him. He knows that the word of God is true, and he knows that He will care for him. He who cares for the lilies of the field, He, without whose knowledge not a sparrow can fall to the ground, He who knows every hair of our heads, any man that knows this, cannot he rejoice? Is there anyone here, who, although he is poor, can find no reason to praise God? Some of those Christians who are so poor, but who have the love of God, would not give up their place for that of princes.

— More praise still. Oh, help me to praise Him! I have nothing else to do: I have done with prayers and other ordinances.

PRAISE, Benefit of All the benefit which ariseth out of this duty redounds to us, and none to God. His glory is infinite, and eternally the same: there is and can be no accession unto that by all our praises. When a glass reflecteth the brightness of the sun, there is but an acknowledgment of what was, not any addition of what was not. When an excellent orator makes a panegyrical oration in praise of some honorable person, he does not infuse any dram of worth into the person, but only scotch forth and dechireth that which is unto others. A curious picture praiseth a beautiful face, not by adding beauty to it, but by representing that which was in it before. The window, which lets in light into a house, does not benefit the light, but the house into which the light shineth: so our praising of God doth serve to quicken, comfort, and refresh ourselves, who have interest in so good a God; or to edify and encourage our brethren, that they may be ambitious to serve so honorable a Master: but they add no glory or lustre to God at all.

— Ep. Reynolds

It was the law, in some of the old monasteries, that the chanting of praise should never be interrupted, and that one choir of monks should relieve another in the holy service.

Three clergymen conversing, one said, "Give me praise for my preaching, because I like it." The second said, "Give me praise that I may give it to my Master." The third said, "Give my Master all the praise, and let me not have any."

A person, being once cast upon a desolate island, spent a day in fasting and prayer for his deliverance; but no help came. It occurred to him then to keep a day of thanksgiving and praise; and he had no sooner done it than relief was brought to him. You see, as soon as he began to sing of mercy exercised, the exercise of mercy was renewed to him. The Lord heard the voice of his praise. Nevins.

Jeremy Taylor, being stripped of all his earthly goods, rejoiced that he had left a good conscience, social pleasures, and, the best of all, God himself. Rev. J. H. Stuart was accustomed on Saturday night to count up the mercies of the week with his wife.

Two children were very ill in the same room: the older of the two was heard attempting to teach the younger one to pronounce the word "Hallelujah!" but without success. The little one died before he could repeat it. When his brother was told of his death, he was silent for a moment, and then, looking up at his mother, said, "Johnny can say 'Hallelujah' now, mother!" In a few hours, the two brothers were united in heaven, singing 'Hallelujah' together. Mothers, many of your little ones could not sing the praises of their Redeemer while resting in your arms; but they have been taught the music of the upper temple now, and they sing among the celestial choroliters. Christian Treasury.

In mining operations, the full and empty carriages, or vessels, being connected together, those which have been emptied are from time to time raised up an ascent by the descending of those that have been filled. In this way let the descent of God's mercies, and the gifts bestowed out of his fulness, raise your empty vessels to receive again and again from his inexhaustible treasury all that you need. Bickersteth.

Praise is the religious exercise, the one religious exercise, of heaven. Angels are offering it ceaselessly, resting not night nor day; saints are offering it ceaselessly in paradise; Nature in her every district is offering it ceaselessly. From the heavens, which declare the glory of God, and the firmament which showeth his handiwork, down to the dewdrop which sparkles with the colors of the rainbow, and the lark, who tunes her cheerful carol as she salutes the rising sun, the whole creation sends up one grand chorus of praise to the throne of God. Dr. Goulburn.

When God has led us through the wilderness with victory, it is our part to give Him the praise of what He has given us the joy of and to let even unbelievers know what is the power that is with us

memory, and find matter for the song. Tell what God has done for me in days gone by. Fly back, ye thoughts, to my childhood, sing of cradle mercies. Review my youth and its early favors. Sing of long-suffering grace which followed my wanderings and bore with my rebellions. Review before my eyes that gladsome hour when first I knew the Lord, and tell over again the matchless story of His mercy. Awake up my judgment , and give measure to the music. Come forth my understanding, and weigh His lovingkindness in the balance. See if thou canst count the small dust of His mercies. See if thou canst estimate thy unsearchable riches which God hath given thee in His unspeakable gift of Christ Jesus. Recount His eternal love to thee. Reckon up the treasures of that everlasting covenant which He made on the behalf and which was "ordered in all things and sure." Sing aloud of that divine wisdom which contrived, of that love which planned, and of that grace which carried out the scheme of thy redemptions. "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" For doth not all nature around me praise Him? If I were silent I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise Him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of Armies? Do not the mountains praise Him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Does not the lightning write His name in letters of fire upon the midnight darkness? Hath not the whole earth a voice, and shall I, can I, be silent? "Bless the Lord, O my soul."

* * * * *

Perhaps in nothing connected with religious practise are opportunities more neglected than with regard to the praise of God. Multitudes who receive the bounties of Providence know nothing of the emotion of gratitude, and many awaken too late to a sense of their own ingratitude.

Billy Bray, the Cornish preacher, was a constant visitor among the sick and dying. On one occasion he was sitting by the bedside of a Christian brother who had always been very reticent and afraid to confess joyously his faith in Christ. Now, however, he was filled with gladness. Turning to Billy, whose beaming face and sunny words had done much to produce this joy, he said, “Oh, Mr. Bray, I am so happy that if I had the power I’d shout ‘Glory.’” “Ah, mon,” said Billy, “what a pity it was thee didn’t shout ‘Glory’ when thee hadst the power.” (Text.)

A delicate woman, without children, and married to a superior but occupied and preoccupied man, suffered intensely when her husband neither perceived nor commented upon a new costume, or upon some ornament she had added to the drawing-room. Never a word of praise escaped his lips. One day she told him the sorrow this caused her. “But what do you want?” he replied, distrest. “I don’t know how to observe such things. What must I do?”

The wife reflected a moment, and then the two arranged that when there was anything unusual the wife was to make him a certain sign. His attention called, he would then understand, look, and admire. “And now I am satisfied,” she said, a little ashamed of her childishness. “What he says will not be spontaneous, I know, and yet I shall be pleased to hear it; it will brighten my life.”

This absurd, and yet touching incident reveals a state of mind that certain natures can not understand, but which is, nevertheless, more common than we think.--DORA MELEGARI, “Makers of Sorrow and Makers of Joy.”

The British Government at great cost is causing the national anthem to be translated into the languages of India, including Arabic, Persian, Hindustani, Bengali, Sanskrit, Hebrew, Kavarese, Marathi, Gugerati, Tunjabi, Malay, Taniel, Tilugu, Singhalese and Burmese, so that the natives in their jungles may unite in “God Save the King” on all important occasions.

We have a greater spectacle described in Rev. 5:9–13, where the unity of praise includes all the tongues and nations of the earth.

Jesus thanked God for the cup of sin and suffering. Ultimate test of thanksgiving. God expects all his creatures to praise him. The psalms are full of praise.

Jesus was thankful for:

1. The common necessities of life.

2. Little children.

3. Answered prayer.

4. Opposition.

5. His death.

Sacrifice of praise article, CT, 11/20/81, pp 40 ff. Dr. Dinwiddie

A. NT word "eucharistein" implies intimacy with the person thanked.

1) Used at last supper.

2) Root meaning is "grace."

3) We must have God's grace in our hearts to properly thank Him.

B. Praise and thanksgiving are evidence of faith.

1) Lone leper who gives thanks. Luke 17:11-19

2) Lack of faith and spirit of ingratitude go together. Rom 1:21

C. Often involve sacrifice.

1) Offering tied with thanks. Ps 116:17

2) Our verbal praise is sacrificial. Heb 13:15

a) Jewish offerings of thanksgiving. Lev 7:11-15

b) Sacrifices must meet God's conditions. Gen 8:21; Lev 22:29

c) He rejects those who do not. Lev 26:31

D. Requirements (Prerequisites) for Thanksgiving.

1) Must have a loving and obedient heart. 1 Sam 15:22; Matt 12:34

2) Reconcilation with fellow Christians.

3) Genuine humility.

4) Rejoicing spirit.

5) Must be sincere.

E. Price of Thanksgiving.

1) Sacrifice must be costly. 2 Sam 24:24

a) According to giver's resources. Lev 4:3; 5:11-13

2) Ways praise can be costly.

a) Cost of preparation.

1> Give our best performance.

2> Edify, don't embarrass worshipers.

3> Cost of time.

4> Cost of disciplining emotion.

b) Cost of perception.

1> Praise is not a spectator sport.

c) Cost of a clean sacrifice.

1> No imperfections.

2> Do simple things well rather than great things poorly.

3> Have clean hands and a pure heart. Ps 24:4

F. Perpetuity of Thanksgiving.

1) Praise is a way of life.

a) Levites had rotating shifts.

b) David offered thanks at night and in the morning.

c) Maintain a daily record of what we are thankful for.

2) Be a living sacrifice.

a) We are the only gift we can give, because all else is

from God. Jam 1:17

b) 17th cent. English poet Richard Crashaw:

"We ourselves become our own best sacrifice."

3) Our willingness to offer genuine sacrifices of praise is an

evidence that we consider the Lord worthy of all our

sacrifice and thanks. Rev 4:9-13

Summary:

A. Sacrifices of praise must be:

1) Costly.

2) Clean.

3) Continual.

B. Praise is:

1) An evidence of faith.

2) A test of obedience.

3) A source of encouragement.

4) An expression of love.

#2367

Other articles on "thanks" in Christianity Today:

"Thankful for Nothing" p. 6, November 17, 1989.

"Thanks in Plague Times" p. 30, November 18, 1988.

"Two Kinds of Thanks" p. 34, January 16, 1987.

"Pilgrim Foundation" November 22, 1985.

"Requirements" (see above) p. 40, November 20, 1981.

"Worship Missing" p. 28, November 21, 1980.

"Not Time for Mourning" p. 236, 1979.

"Price of Praise" p. 282, 1977-1978.

*

For many Christians, one of the most perplexing commands in the New Testament is found in Simon Peter's words: "Fear God."

1. Rediscovering a Lost Art.

We have made God small and man great.

2. A Challenge to Holiness.

The most obvious impact of the fear of the Lord is that it produces.

holiness in our lives.

3. A Focus For Life.

The fear of the Lord also serves to simplify life.

4. An Incentive For Evangelism.

The fear of God is also an incentive to evangelism.

5. A Springboard To Praise.

The fear of the Lord also evokes heartfelt worship.

6. Jesus: Delighting in the Fear of God.

The first principle that helps us not to confuse the terror of God with

the fear of the Lord is to remember that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself

feared God.

7. Learning Healthy Fear.

Value the company of others who fear God.

Reflect on the providence of God in your own life.

Live under the shadow of the Cross.

More complete outline:

"The Fear of the Lord: Seeing God as He Is"

Sinclair Ferguson

Discipleship Journal #52, July/Aug 1989, page 41.

I. Fear doesn't seem to fit in Christianity.

A. Peter's "Fear God" in 1 Peter 2:17 is perplexing.

B. Should we fear a God we call "Father"?

1) We see fear as a sinister, unhealthy emotion.

2) The Bible says the fear of God is wholesome and healthy.

(Ps 19:9)

3) Divine fear can deliver us from earthly fears.

II. "Fear of the Lord" used two ways.

A. Terror or horror of God.

1) Unpardoned sinners are antagonistic against God.

B. Authentic fear.

1) Psalm 130:4 - "With you there is forgiveness; THEREFORE

you are feared." (emphasis added)

2) Synonymous with heartfelt worship of God.

C. Love and fear of God are not incompatible.

1) The Bible portrays them as companion emotions.

III. Why we have lost our fear of God.

A. We have made God small and man great.

1) "Man is the measure of all things."

2) We make God in our own image and worship that.

a) Luther told Erasmus, "Your God is too man-like."

b) Only when we can say with Luther, "Let God be God,"

can we truly fear God.

B. Lack of fear of God is not a liberation from Old Testament

harshness, but because we really do not know him as GOD.

1) To know God is to fear him, to be "stunned," as A.W. Tozer

put it.

2) "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my

fears relieved." (John Newton)

a) Newton is not saying grace removes our fear of God.

b) Instead, grace removes fears by teaching us the fear

of God.

IV. Fear of God produces holiness in our lives.

A. It is the spirit in which we work out our salvation. Phil 2:12

1) Joseph's promise to his brothers was his bond,

"for I fear God." Gen 42:18

2) Fear of God should motivate us to a new honesty.

a) It is a key to personal integrity. Exod 18:21

b) To fear the Lord is to hate evil. Prov 8:13

V. Fear of God simplifies our lives.

A. It clarifies our vision of the world.

1) It charts our course in a sea of relativism.

2) Usually our best guidance comes from a simple question:

Will this action please the Father I honor,

or will it call forth his displeasure?

B. It delivers us from desires for other things.

1) We are taught how little we need.

VI. It is an incentive for evangelism.

A. We will all appear before Christ's judgment seta. 2 Cor 5:9-11

B. Our Christian service will be assessed. 1 Cor 3:10-15

C. We should not want to disappoint our Master.

VII. It evokes heartfelt worship and is a springboard to praise.

VIII. Jesus delighted in the fear of God.

IX. We can learn healthy fear.

A. Use the "means of grace" - prayer, worship, sermons, reading...

1) We tend to want worship that appeals to us.

2) We have lost the sense of the vertical, of God breaking

into our lives from above.

a) Means of grace show us how unworthy we are of his love.

B. Value the company of those who fear God.

C. Reflect on the providence of God in your own life.

D. Live under the shadow of the cross.

A poem written by Archpriest Grigory Petrov shortly before his death in a Siberian prison camp.

What is my praise before you?

I have not heard the cherubim singing, that is the lot of souls sublime,

but I know how nature praises you.

In winter I have thought about the whole earth praying quietly to you in the

silence of the moon,

wrapped around in a mantle of white,

sparkling with diamonds of snow.

I have seen how the rising sun rejoiced in you,

and choirs of birds sang forth glory.

I have heard how secretly the forest noises you abroad,

how the winds sing, the waters gurgle,

how the choirs of stars preach of you in serried motion through

unending space.

There is no more poignant testimony to the difference between Marxism and

Christianity than that a Christian martyr would end his earthly existence in a

spirit of praise to God rather than bitterness towards his oppressor. Indeed,

another English writer, G.K. Chesterton, has observed that the origin of

theology is gratitude. [1518]

*

Dan Keeton told this story in “The Democratic Union” of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee:

The sun had just risen on a hot August day in 1944 in the small village of Plelo, in German occupied France. The 15 year old boy did not know why he and the other citizens of Plelo had been lined up before a firing squad in the middle of the town square. Perhaps they were being punished for harboring a unit of Marquisards, the French underground freedom fighters. Perhaps they were merely to satisfy the blood lust of the German commanding officer who, the evening before, had routed the small group of Marquisard scouts. All the boy knew was that he was about to die.

As he stood before the firing squad, he remembered the carefree days of his early childhood, before the war, spent roaming the green of the French countryside. He thought about all he would miss by never growing up. Most of all he was terrified of dying. How will the bullets feel ripping through my body? he wondered. He hoped no one could hear the whimperings coming from deep in his throat every time he exhaled.

Suddenly, the boy heard the sound of exploding mortar shells beyond the limits of his little village. Quickly rolling tanks could also be heard. The Germans were forced to abandon the firing squad and face a small unit of U. S. tanks with twenty GI’s led by Bob Hamsley, a corporal in Patton’s Third Army. A Marquisard captain had asked Hamsley for help. After three hours, fifty Nazis were dead, and the other fifty were taken prisoner.

In 1990 the town of Plelo honored Bob Hamsley on the very spot where dozens of the town’s citizens would have died if not for him. The man who initiated the search for Hamsley and the ceremony honoring him was the former mayor of Plelo, that same 15 year old boy. He had determined to find the man who saved his life and honor him.

It’s hard to forget your savior.

God made us to be worshipers, but most of us do not worship well. A. W. Tozer noted that worship is “the missing jewel in the evangelical church.” When God’s people gather together, it is for the purpose of worship, which includes adoration, confession, instruction, and response.

Biblical worship is celebration. But it is often true that, as the Devil says in THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV, “Everything would be transformed into a religious service: it would be holy, but a little dull.” The characteristic note of OT worship is exhilaration. Worship in the Bible is filled with participation by the laity: sacrifices, offerings, music, giving thanks, confession. In the Nt church almost everyone came feeling he had the privilege of contributing something. Worship is a dialogue with two directions - to God, and from Him.

Want to freshen up your daily quiet time? Explore the intimacy that can come though using a simple hymnal.

A book of hymns can help you express your heart to God daily, even if you can't carry a tune.

It's easier to come clean with God when you have words that put it out there, plain and simple.

1- A Primer of Praise.

2- A Chronicle of Confession.

3- An Encyclopedia of Experience.

4- A Doctrine Diary.

5- A Lexicon of Love.

#3288

*

Johann Kepler (1571-1630) was the first scientist to accept Copernicus’ theories that the earth rotated about the sun, and he was an important forerunner of Isaac Newton in systematizing science. A devout Lutheran, Kepler was studying theology and planning to become a minister when he was called to teach mathematics in Graz, Austria. Kepler realized he could glorify God through his mathematical and astronomical studies, and his scientific notes were often mixed with prayers and praise to his Lord.

Kepler believed that there was an art and orderliness in God’s creation and that the more Christians recognized the greatness of creation, the deeper their worship would be. Didn’t God himself encourage the heathen to look carefully at creation so that they might come to know God? God created man in His image, and He wants us to recognize and know His design for the universe: “The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which He revealed to us in the language of mathematics.”

In his astronomical research, Kepler only wanted to, as he put it, “think God’s thoughts after Him.” Kepler believed that there was a mathematical precision and orderliness in the universe; the scientist’s duty was to discover what mathematical formula God had used. In Kepler’s day, scientists believed the orbits of the planets were perfectly circular, but that theory did not fit the empirical data. Kepler persisted until he could show that the orbits were ellipses, with the sun as one of the epicenters. His calculations proved Copernicus’ theory to be fact.

Through further observation, Kepler established laws for planetary velocity and for the relationship between orbital periods and the distances of planets from the sun. Kepler’s three laws for planetary motion are the basis for our understanding of the solar system today.

Throughout his scientific work, Kepler never sought any glory for himself, but always sought to bring glory to God. At the end of his life his prayer was: “I give you thanks, Creator and God, that you have given me this joy in thy creation, and I rejoice in the works of your hands. See I have now completed the work to which I was called. In it I have used all the talents you have lent to my spirit.”

Divine speech is articulation of God’s presence. … The Magnificat is a biblical theology in miniature, because it begins and it ends in an exaltation not of Mary but of the Word.

— Samuel Terrien in The Magnificat: Musicians as Biblical Interpreters

#4236

*

If we could stop and say good things about each other, the world would be so different. [The following story has been verified as true. - Holwick]

ALL GOOD THINGS

He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in Morris, Minnesota. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.

Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving - "Thank you for correcting me, Sister!"

I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.

One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice-teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and said, "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!" It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it.

I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened by drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room.

As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it!! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, "Thank you for correcting me, Sister."

At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the "new math," he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third.

One Friday, things just didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves - and edgy with one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled.

Mark said, "Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend."

That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" I heard whispered. "I never knew that meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't know others liked me so much." No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.

That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip - the weather, my experiences in general. There was a lull in the conversation.

Mother gave Dad a side-ways glance and simply says, "Dad?" My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important. "The Eklunds called last night," he began. "Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is."

Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend."

To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark.

I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, Mark I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me.

The church was packed with Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said.

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to Chuck's farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine, too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash. "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

________

Written by Sister Helen P. Mrosla