Don't Trade Happiness for Hamburger

by Joyce Meyer

I once made a disastrous mistake and asked my husband, Dave, for the last bite of his hamburger. If there’s anything hard for a man to sacrifice, it's that last bite. It's much easier to give somebody the first bite because he still has so much of it left, but when he’s down to the last bite, it's tough. I didn't realize before how much of a test it could be, especially for Dave.

Our exchange began as usual, with his offer, "I'm going to stop here and get a hamburger. Do you want one?"
"No, no, no. I don't want anything."
"Are you sure you don't want anything? Let me get you one."
I firmly said, "Dave, I don't want a hamburger."
He said, "I'll eat what's left."
I said, "I do not want a hamburger."
"OK."

He bought a hamburger, and it smelled so good. I waited and waited, trying my best not to ask for a bite of that hamburger. But he got down to the last bite, and I couldn't stand it.

I asked, "Do you suppose I could have that last bite?"

Dave got upset with me and huffed, "Why didn't you let me get you a hamburger?! I’ll buy you all the hamburgers you want. Why do you only want to eat mine?"

"It's only one bite!" I defended. "You don't have to be so selfish!"
He said, "All right! Here it is."
I said, "Nope, I don't want it! I wouldn't eat that hamburger now! You couldn't pay me to eat that bite of hamburger!"
He said, "You eat this!"
I said, "I'm not eating it!"
He said, "You eat it!"
I said, "I will not!"
"Well, I'm not eating it,” Dave replied, “so you might as well." So I took it, shoved it in my mouth and chewed it up.

I was upset not only because Dave had hurt my feelings, but also because I’d compared the way he treated me to the way I saw other men treat their wives. I said, "Well, other men give their wives bites of their food. I just ask you for one stinkin' bite of your hamburger, and you throw a fit!" I was mad for about an hour after that argument.

It takes a little while for the Lord to get through to us when we’re enjoying our vengeance and self-pity, just as I was. But finally I started feeling the Lord deep within me saying, "Joyce, you are acting ridiculous. The man told you he would buy you a whole sack of hamburgers if you wanted them."

Dave had offered to buy me a hamburger even if I wanted just one bite of it. He’d clearly asked me in advance not to ask for his. It doesn't matter what other men do. Sharing that last bite of hamburger bothered Dave. The person to whom you are comparing your spouse probably has some faults your spouse doesn't have that would drive you crazy and be just as difficult to accept. What's the sense in pushing something on your spouse if it bothers them? Just don't do it.

Marriages are not as good as they could be when people hold on to little things that have hurt or offended them. It’s difficult to completely open yourself up after being hurt because you’re afraid you’ll be hurt again. Nobody can promise that loving someone won't hurt. In fact, you can't love without being willing to be hurt. It's not possible.

You can't have real love unless you’re willing to forgive. Love keeps giving the other person another chance. Love keeps trusting them over and over again, expecting them to do the right thing the next time. I realize there are big hurts and also little things we deal with daily. Sometimes we may not even know what is agitating us, but we need to decide to let go of its irritating hold on us.

Ask the Lord to reveal what it was that caused you to feel bitterness or resentment. You may be surprised at what He drags up, but when you see the truth, decide to let go of that grief. Decide to forgive the person who didn't respond to you in the right way.

It took me several days to completely get over the hamburger incident. That's the truth! My feelings had been hurt because Dave didn't want me to have that bite of his hamburger. But I had to get over it and move on. Don't trade your happiness for a bite of hamburger! Forget what lies behind and press on to what lies ahead."

The Heavenly Man

O irmão Yun nasceu em 1958, na província de Henan, China. Ele conheceu a Cristo pela experiência de cura de seu Pai, que teve câncer. Apesar da opressão do Regime Comunista, que teve como grande líder, Mao Tsé Tung, Yun e sua família não se intimidaram, e perseveraram em levar as boas novas aqueles que nunca ouviram falar de Cristo.

Irmão Yun foi preso várias vezes e torturado pelo simples fato de falar de Jesus. Sua vida sempre foi pautada pelo amor às vidas, até mesmo para com aqueles que o perseguiam. Num dos momentos de maior dificuldade, Yun jejuou por 74 dias. Mesmo preso, seu espírito se fortalecia ainda mais: “Durante o jejum, embora meu corpo estivesse muito fraco, meu espírito se achava alerta e continuei confiando no Senhor”.

Deus tem usado tremendamente a vida desse irmão.

Atualmente Yun trabalho na missão "De volta a Jerusalém", que tem por objetivo treinar e enviar missionários chineses para a evangelização dos povos que se encontram na janela 10:40.

Notícias recentes deste ministério: http://www.backtojerusalem.com/

O Homem do Céu
Autor : Irmão Yun e Paul Hattaway

Sinopse : “Não são os grandes homens que transformam o mundo, mas sim os fracos, nas mãos de um grande Deus.”
"O Homem do Céu" é a história real do Irmão Yun. Esse homem simples, que nasceu em uma vila rural da China, teve um encontro com Jesus depois que seu pai foi curado milagrosamente de um câncer. Yun entregou sua vida ao Senhor e dedicou-se a servi-lo com todas as suas forças, vindo a tornar-se anos mais tarde um dos líderes da igreja doméstica da China.

Ler este livro é como ler uma versão atual de Atos dos Apóstolos. O testemunho do Irmão Yun nos emociona e nos deixa maravilhados diante do poder extraordinário de Deus. Seu relato traz à tona o grande drama da perseguição aos irmãos chineses, que até hoje são presos, torturados e levados perante às autoridades por causa de sua fé. Esta leitura nos desafia a orar pelos cristãos da China e a dedicar nossa vida mais intensamente ao serviço do Mestre, aproveitando a preciosa liberdade que possuímos.

Esta história dramática, às vezes chocante, mas repleta de amor e esperança, será um divisor de águas em sua vida espiritual. Você irá conhecer um pouco da realidade da igreja perseguida: seu sofrimento, suas aflições, sua fé inabalável em Deus. Mas irá também contemplar os grandes milagres e o livramento que o Senhor tem operado entre o seu povo.

O Irmão Yun em nenhum momento negou sua fé em Jesus. Após anos de perseguições, prisões, torturas e grande sofrimento, deixou a prisão de forma milagrosa. Atualmente, vive na Alemanha e viaja com freqüência pregando e compartilhando suas experiências. Paul Hattaway, co-autor deste livro, vive na Tailândia. É um estudioso da igreja chinesa e escreveu o livro: "Operation China" (Operação China).

Blogs e websites brasileiros falando sobre este maravilhoso testemunho:

http://www.guiame.com.br/m5.asp?cod_noticia=14366&cod_pagina=1150
http://blogdaana.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/encontro-com-o-homem-do-ceu/
http://seminarioteologicodosul.blogspot.com/2009/04/quando-perguntaram-para-mim-se-eu-ja.html
http://www.comunhao.com.br/noticias/34-acontece/473-qhomem-do-ceuq-visita-o-estado
http://tsurumiyokohama.blogspot.com/2009/05/irmao-yun-o-homem-do-ceu.html

Praying for them !

Photos Uploaded on November 6, 2005
by Steve Webel
http://www.flickr.com/photos/webel/

Crazy about JESUS !