There was once a poverty-stricken old lady who was so poor that she didn’t have any money to buy food. The one thing she did have, however, was a positive attitude and complete faith that God would provide for her. So she did the only thing she could do. She got down on her knees and prayed over and over in a loud voice. “Father in Heaven, please send me some bread and vegetables so that I can eat.” Now it just so happened that as she was praying the local scoundrel was passing by her window and overhearing the old woman’s plea for help, he decided to play a trick on her. He dashed off to the nearest store and purchased some bread and vegetables. Then returning to the old woman’s house, he climbed a ladder and dropped the food down the chimney, whereupon it landed right in front of the woman as she was praying. “O thank you Lord, thank you,” she cried out again and again as she gathered up the groceries. Then, overcome with excitement, she ran out into the street and began enthusiastically telling everyone what had happened and how God had answered her prayers. This was just too much for the scoundrel and unable to contain himself, he fell about laughing wildly and began poking fun at the old woman. Mocking her publicly he told the people crowding around that it was he and not God who had dropped the food down the chimney. The old woman looked at him, continued to smile and without missing a beat replied, “Well the devil may have brought it but it was God who sent it!” – Now that’s what I call a positively heavenly attitude!

R. Ian Seymour

R. Ian Seymour, excerpt from Discover Your True Potential