If God brings us to it, He will bring us through it. By Barb Drotar
There once was a certain man who died, and immediately upon arriving in heaven, began complaining to Saint Peter about how God had never helped him through his life on earth; that he'd always had to ‘go it alone'. Saint Peter, his face transforming to sadness, took the man by the hand and led him to a gigantic golden door, the grandest the man could never have imagined. Saint Peter opened the door slowly and escorted the man into a magnificent room lined with gold and white marble. Everywhere, neatly stacked to towering ceilings, were beautifully wrapped gifts, each tied with enormous sparkling bows made of golden angel hair. The man was instructed to read the inscription on each nametag. To the man's astonishment, each one had his name, with the date he was born and the date he died, clearly written on it. The man stood there, unable to move and feeling totally confused. Saint Peter, knowing this, went on to explain that each unopened package had been waiting for him, all the days of his life. “Now, each of these presents will go unopened forever, because on the day you were born, each one was especially prepared for you by God Himself.” He went on to say that each beautifully wrapped box was filled with gifts of joy, healing for sickness, peace, people to love and be loved by, miracles, sunrise and sunsets to celebrate, the attitude of gratitude, laughter to delight in, strangers especially sent, understanding in times of painful ignorance, courage in times of fear, forgiveness for sins, warnings given, encouragement when desperately needed, strength in times of weakness……. “Why weren't they given to me when I needed them”, asked the man. Saint Peter responded with, “Oh, son of man, they were always yours. You didn't receive them because you didn't ask the Lord for them. You lacked the faith to ask, as He commanded you. The Lord told mankind, ‘Ask and you shall receive'. Faith opens the hearts and the eyes of the living, unwrapping the gifts God is always giving.”
There once was a certain man who died, and immediately upon arriving in heaven, began complaining to Saint Peter about how God had never helped him through his life on earth; that he'd always had to ‘go it alone'. Saint Peter, his face transforming to sadness, took the man by the hand and led him to a gigantic golden door, the grandest the man could never have imagined. Saint Peter opened the door slowly and escorted the man into a magnificent room lined with gold and white marble. Everywhere, neatly stacked to towering ceilings, were beautifully wrapped gifts, each tied with enormous sparkling bows made of golden angel hair. The man was instructed to read the inscription on each nametag. To the man's astonishment, each one had his name, with the date he was born and the date he died, clearly written on it. The man stood there, unable to move and feeling totally confused. Saint Peter, knowing this, went on to explain that each unopened package had been waiting for him, all the days of his life. “Now, each of these presents 
will go unopened forever, because on the day you were born, each one was especially prepared for you by God Himself.” He went on to say that each beautifully wrapped box was filled with gifts of joy, healing for sickness, peace, people to love and be loved by, miracles, sunrise and sunsets to celebrate, the attitude of gratitude, laughter to delight in, strangers especially sent, understanding in times of painful ignorance, courage in times of fear, forgiveness for sins, warnings given, encouragement when desperately needed, strength in times of weakness……. “Why weren't they given to me when I needed them”, asked the man. Saint Peter responded with, “Oh, son of man, they were always yours. You didn't receive them because you didn't ask the Lord for them. You lacked the faith to ask, as He commanded you. The Lord told mankind, ‘Ask and you shall receive'. Faith opens the hearts and the eyes of the living, unwrapping the gifts God is always giving.”