Chicken Soup for soulWord文档格式.docx

Chicken Soup for soulWord文档格式.docx

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IrealizedthatIhadn'

tspentmuchtimeinprayerthatday.WasItoobusytoevenutterasimplewordofthankstoGod?

Suddenly,thethoughtofmybeautifulpatiocametomind.Icanbequietoutthere,Ithought.IlongedforafewminutesalonewithGod.

RoyandIhadinvestedagreatdealoftimeandworkinthepatiothatspring.Theflowersandhangingbasketswerebreathtaking.Itwasdefinitelyaheavenlyplaceofrestandtranquility.IfIcan'

tbestillwithGodinthatenvironment,Ican'

tbestillwithHimanywhere,Ithought.WhileRoywastalkingonthetelephone,Islippedoutthebackdoorandsatdownonmyfavoritepatiochair.Iclosedmyeyesandbegantopray,countingmymanyblessings.

Abirdflewbyme,chirpingandsinging.Itinterruptedmythoughts.ItlandedonthebirdfeederandbeganeatingdinnerasIwatched.Afterafewminutesitflewaway,singinganothersong.

Iclosedmyeyesagain.Agustofwindblew,whichcausedmywindchimestodance.Theymadeajoyfulsound,butagainIlostmyconcentrationonGod.Isquirmedandwiggledinmychair.Ilookeduptowardtheblueskyandsawthecloudsmovingslowlytowardthehorizon.Thewinddieddown.Mywindchimesfinallybecamequiet.

Again,Ibowedinprayer."

Honk,honk,"

Iheard.Ialmostjumpedoutofmyskin.Aneighborwasdrivingdownthestreet.Hewavedatmeandsmiled.Iwavedback,happythathecared.Iquicklytriedonceagaintosettledown,repeatingthefamiliarverseinmymind.BestillandknowthatIamGod.

"

mtryingGod.Ireallyam,"

Iwhispered."

Butyou'

vegottohelpmehere."

Thebackdooropened.Myhusbandwalkedoutside."

Iloveyou,"

hesaid."

Iwaswonderingwhereyouwere."

Ichuckled,ashecameoverandkissedme,thenturnedaroundandwentbackinside.

Where'

sthequiettime?

IaskedGod.Myheartfluttered.Therewasnopain,onlyabeatthatinterruptedmeyetagain.Thisisimpossible,Ithought.There'

snotimetobestillandtoknowthatGodiswithme.There'

stoomuchgoingonintheworldandentirelytoomuchactivityallaroundme.

Thenitsuddenlydawnedonme.GodwasspeakingtometheentiretimeIwasattemptingtobestill.IrememberedthemusicplayingasI'

dbegunmyquiettime.Hesentasparrowtolightenmylifewithsong.Hesentagentlebreeze.HesentaneighbortoletmeknowthatIhadafriend.Hesentmysweethearttooffersinceresentimentsoflove.Hecausedmyhearttofluttertoremindmeoflife.WhileIwastryingtocountmyblessings,Godwasbusymultiplyingthem.

Ilaughedtorealizethatthe"

interruptions"

ofmyquiettimewithGodwerespecialblessingsHe'

dsenttoshowmeHewaswithmetheentiretime.

PlantaRowfortheHungryByJeffLowenfels

ItwasacoldnightinWashington,D.C.,andIwasheadingbacktothehotelwhenamanapproachedme.HeaskedifIwouldgivehimsomemoneysohecouldgetsomethingtoeat.I'

dreadthesigns:

"

Don'

tgivemoneytopanhandlers."

SoIshookmyheadandkeptwalking.

Iwasn'

tpreparedforareply,butwithresignation,hesaid,"

IreallyamhomelessandIreallyamhungry!

Youcancomewithmeandwatchmeeat!

ButIkeptonwalking.

Theincidentbotheredmefortherestoftheweek.Ihadmoneyinmypocketanditwouldn'

thavekilledmetohandoverabuckortwoevenifhehadbeenlying.Onafrigid,coldnight,noless,Iassumedtheworstofafellowhumanbeing.

FlyingbacktoAnchorage,Icouldn'

thelpthinkingofhim.Itriedtorationalizemyfailuretohelpbyassuminggovernmentagencies,churchesandcharitiesweretheretofeedhim.Besides,you'

renotsupposedtogivemoneytopanhandlers.

SomewhereoverSeattle,IstartedtowritemyweeklygardencolumnforTheAnchorageDailyNews.Outoftheblue,Icameupwithanidea.Bean'

sCafe,thesoupkitcheninAnchorage,feedshundredsofhungryAlaskanseveryday.WhynottrytogetallmyreaderstoplantonerowintheirgardensdedicatedtoBean'

s?

DedicatearowandtakeitdowntoBean'

s.Cleanandsimple.

Wedidn'

tkeeprecordsbackthen,buttheideabegantotakeoff.Folkswouldfaxmeorcallwhentheytooksomethingin.Thosewhoonlygrewflowersdonatedthem.Foodforthespirit.Andsalveformyconscience.

In1995,theGardenWritersAssociationofAmericaheldtheirannualconventioninAnchorageandafterlearningofAnchorage'

sprogram,PlantaRowforBean'

sbecamePlantaRowForTheHungry.TheoriginalideawastohaveeverymemberoftheGardenWritersAssociationofAmericawriteortalkaboutplantingarowforthehungrysometimeduringthemonthofApril.

AsmoreandmorepeoplestartedworkingwiththePlantaRowconcept,newvariationscroppedup,ifyouwillpardonthepun.Manycompaniesgavefreeseedtocustomersanddisplayedthelogo,whichalsoappearedinnationalgardeningpublications.

RowmarkerswiththePlantaRowlogoweredistributedtogardenerstosetaparttheir"

RowfortheHungry."

GardeneditorJoanJackson,backedbyTheSanJoseMercuryNewsandCalifornia'

snearlyyear-roundgrowingseason,raisedmorethan30,000poundsoffruitsandvegetablesherfirstyear,andshowedGWAAhowtheprogramcouldreallywork.TexasfruitfarmsdonatedfoodtotheirlocalfoodbankafterbeinginspiredbyPlantaRow.Todaytheprogramcontinuestothriveandgrow.

IamstunnedthatmillionsofAmericansarethreatenedbyhunger.IfeverygardenerinAmerica-andwe'

reseventymillionstrong-plantsonerowforthehungry,wecanmakequiteadentinthenumberofneighborswhodon'

thaveenoughtoeat.MaybethenIwillstopfeelingguiltyaboutabandoningahungrymanIcouldhavehelped.

BeyondExpectationsByMiltGarrett

ItseemsacardealershipinmyhometownofAlbuquerquewasselling,onaverage,sixtoeightnewcarsaday,sixdaysaweek.Iwasalsotoldthat72percentofthisdealership'

sfirst-timevisitorsreturnedforasecondvisit.（Atthattime,theaverageforalldealershipsinAlbuquerqueforsecond-timevisitorswas8percent.）

Iwascuriousandintrigued.Howdoesacardealershipget72percentofitsfirst-timevisitorstoreturn?

Andhowcantheysellsixtoeightcarsadayinaslumpingcarmarket?

WhenIwalkedintoSaturnofAlbuquerquethatFridayfouryearsago,thestafftheredidn'

tknowmefromAdam;

yettheysharedwithmetheirpricingpolicy,theprofitmarginoneverymodel,andstaffincome.TheyevenopenedtheirtrainingmanualsformyreviewandinvitedmebackonSaturdayifIwantedmoreinformation（aninvitationIheartilyaccepted）.

Ilearnedthatthisdealership（likeallSaturndealerships）hasa"

no-dickersticker"

policy;

thatis,thepriceonthewindowisthepriceyoupayforthecar.Period.Youcan'

tevennegotiateforafreesetoffloormats.Saturnabidesbyitspremiseofsellinghigh-qualityautomobilesforareasonableprice.

Furthermore,Saturnsalesconsultants（theirtermforcustomer-contactpeople）aren'

tpaidacommission-they'

resalaried.Thismeanswhenyouwalkontotheshowroomflooryou'

renotbombardedwithwhatIrefertoas"

beyondeager"

salespeople.

IexpandedmyresearchtootherdealershipsinAlbuquerque.ItturnedoutthatFordEscorts,LTDsandThunderbirds,aswellastheMercuryMarquis,werealsosoldas"

cars.AsBruceSutherlandatRichardsonFordsaid,"

WewerelosingourmarkettoSaturnbecauseoftheirpricingandsalarypolicies."

Healsosaid,"

IfwealldidwhatSaturnwasdoing,we'

dnotonlymakeadecentliving,butwe'

dalsoenjoyabetterreputation."

OnSunday,thedayaftermysecondvisittotheSaturnstore（theirterm,notmine）,mywife,Jane,andIwerewalkingaswefrequentlydo.OnthisparticularJunemorning,Janegentlyslippedherhandinmineandsaidtenderly,"

Idon'

tknowifyouremember,buttoday'

smyfifthanniversaryofbeingcancer-free."

Shewasdiagnosedwithbreastcancerfiveyearsagoandhadundergonesurgery.Iwasstunned,partiallybecauseIwasembarrassedthatIhadforgotten,and,partially,because...well,itseemswespendallofourtimeearningalivingandneverstoptoliveourearnings.Imean,isn'

tthiswhatit'

sreallyallabout?

Ididn'

tknowwhattodowithJane'

sinformation.Ispoketohertenderly.Allday.Itookhertolunch.Iboughtthelunch.Itwasanice,intimateday.

Thenextday,Monday,Janewentofftoworkteachingschool.Stillbesidemyselfnotknowingwhattodotomarkthisspecialoccasion,IdidthemostimpetuousthingI'

veeverdoneinmylife:

IboughtanewSaturn.IboughteveryaccessorytheyproduceinSpringhill,Tennessee,tohangonthatcar.Therewasn'

tanaccessorymadethatIdidn'

tbuy.Ididn'

tpickthecolorandIdidn'

tpickthemodel,butIpaidcashandtoldthemI'

dbringJaneinonWednesdayat4:

30tomakethosetwodecisions.ItoldthemwhyIwasbuyingthecar,andthatitwasmysecretandtheywerenottorevealanythingtoher.

Tuesdaymorning,itdawnedonmethatJanealwayswantedawhitecar.IcalledoursalesconsultantatSaturn,andIaskedhimifhehada