Hope Brings Life 1: The Life Stories Series

By John Inserra Jr

This is a book of Short Stories that are inspirational and are meant to help peope face LIFE's Issues.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Inserra Jr
• Release date: Oct 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393086451

Book preview

The Broken Chair

The Broken Chair

Speaks, I sit here on this porch away from my brothers. What has happened to me? I used to be at the table. I had a purpose. The family would sit down on me. But now I am sitting here rotting. The sun has peeled off my paint and the rain has covered me with mildew and mold. And they just threw me out here and broke my leg. So now I’m just waiting to be kindling wood for the fire.

Pastor

Thank you, for giving me this table and chairs.

The Broken Chair’s owner

What about this one? Do you want it? Otherwise I think I just dump it in the garbage. It is an eye sore on my porch.

Pastor

Pastor took a look at the chair on the porch with the broken leg. He rubbed his hand on the rough wood. He thought it would take a whole lot of sanding to get this old worn coat of paint off. Plus, that leg will be very difficult to fix; it will cost me a lot of money to fix it. Pastor smiled, "No thanks you can just trash that one.

It is just too ugly to sit with the other chairs at the table. I don’t want it"

The Broken Chair

I’m not wanted. I’m worthless. I wish they would just throw me in the fire. I’m useless. I can’t fulfill the purpose my maker designed me for. There putting my brothers in the Pastor’s truck. I feel all alone. They are driving off and leaving me. I guess I will never again be worthy to have my place at the table. If only...I could be...Oh I’m being foolish that will never happen to me.

Pastor’s wife

"I’m so glad you went and picked up these chairs and the table. It is so good to have them as a keepsake. I still can’t believe she is gone. She was such a good woman. I’ll never forget the time Peter was six months old and he took ill. I had no body to take care of him and we had to work at the store, or we would not get paid. Money was tight, and we could not afford too and still have money for food and to pay our bills. Joan came and took care of our baby free of charge. So, I’m glad her son, Tim was willing to give us her dining room table and chairs. I loved going to her house and eating dinner she was such a fine cook. Her chicken and dumplings were the tastiest not to mention her fried chicken.

And the deserts she makes like that lemon cake and her pecan pies with a scoop of Vanilla homemade ice cream left your mouth watering for more. I remember how she would have us pray before we eat and with her it was not a quick prayer, but she would pray for a season and when she finished, she had tears in her eyes. She loved her Lord and Savior so much. I’m so glad to have her dining room set to remember her by. But wait I only count five chairs; where is the sixth one?"

She asked her husband with a concerned look on her face, as if she lost her best friend.

Pastor

Pastor looked down at his feet and took a deep breath. Honey, the sixth chair was just broken and weathered. It was only good for kindling wood for the fire. It was unusable and worthless, so I told Tim to get rid of it.

Pastor’s wife

Please, hurry, go back; and get it before they burn it and it is lost forever! It belongs with the set no matter its present condition; it can be restored.

Pastor

Pastor thought why does she want that worthless chair? But he knew that it was not good to fight with his wife when she was adamant; so, he remained silent and put on his jacket.

Fifteen minutes later, he arrived back at Tim’s house and asked, Can I have that old chair?

Broken chair owner

Tim looked puzzled.

Pastor

So, he added, My wife sees it as a keepsake and although it is battered, she does not want it thrown away.

Broken chair owner

Tim laughed. You sure are henpecked.

Pastor

No, I’m just been married longer than you and this gray hair has given me some wisdom; I know I’m the head, but she is the neck and you know what part of the body turns the head.

Broken chair owner

Both men laughed and then Tim went out back on the porch and retrieved the weathered beaten chair.

Pastor

Pastor picked up the chair and saw the one of the legs was broken off and another leg was splintered. He muttered to himself, This chair belongs in the trash heap. Still he threw it in the back of his pickup truck.

As he drove off Tim was still chuckling; so, he felt foolish taking this broken-down chair home being certain it would never be restored as his wife hoped.

Broken Chair

The broken chair was excited when Tim came retrieved him from the porch. He really thought he was going to a better place. He hoped maybe he was not as finished as his worn finish suggested. He laughed at his own attempt at humor. 

But the encouragement quickly faded during the bumpy ride home. He feared several times he was a goner when he almost flew out of the truck. He smashed so hard into the sides of the truck on three different occasions causing more cracks and paint to peel off.

Then when they arrived at his new home, Pastor hauled him from the truck and set him in the corner of the garage. Now, the broken chair leaned up against the wall with old grease rags piled on him as he collected dust wondering if he would ever be useful again. 

Pastor

Pastor for years would tell his wife when she would ask him about restoring the broken chair that he was planning on getting around to it; but that never happened.

Until one day about five years later, while Pastor was preparing a sermon about how God restores broken lives that he remembered the broken chair. He thought would it not be a perfect illustration of showing how something very broken could be restored if someone shows it love and cares for it.

Pastor did not tell his wife what he was planning. But the next Sunday morning, he loaded the chair in his truck after his wife already had left; she had told him she had to run and errand at the store before church. He arrived at the church early and was glad to see none of the congregation there yet.

So, Pastor took the chair out of his truck and carried it to the sanctuary and hid it in the back of the platform behind the piano.

Later, while Pastor was preaching, he showed the broken chair to the congregation. He discussed its present condition and each Sunday he planned to work on restoring it during his sermons.

A lost teenager

An hour before service, the teenage boy stared at the water rushing over the rocks below. He took a penny out of his pocket and watched it hit the rocks below making a thud. Then he put a leg over the rail as tears streamed down his face. Then he heard a still small voice say, Go to church. So, trembling he climbed down off the rail and walked to the church.

Now he is sitting in the pew listening to the Pastor describe the condition of the chair. And he thought I’m just as useless as that chair. He considered leaving.

Pastor

Pastor preached how God led Jeremiah to the Potter’s house. Jeremiah watched the Potter working on the clay pot. Then the potter