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A black woman was working as a housemaid and living poorly. Yet she was a Christian, and she was always happy. In her mouth there was always a "Hallelujah" and "Praise the Lord." One day the aunt of her mistress, a white lady, came and noticed her joy. She asked, "Why are you so happy all the time?" The sister answered, "I have believed in Jesus. He is my Savior, and He has saved me." The lady could not tolerate her happiness, and she asked again, "How can you be so happy? How can you be so unconcerned about your future? If your mistress does not want you anymore, if you get back pain and cannot do the laundry anymore, if your son becomes sick, if the money you have earned is stolen, if you have some accidents, or if..." The joyful sister did not wait for her to finish the next "if," and said to her, "Madam, you are good in everything. The only problem is your `ifs.' If you did not have all these `ifs,' you would have been as happy as I am a long time ago."
A brother in the Lord went to Spain once to visit the great cathedrals. When he arrived, a monk welcomed him and took him to a few somber and ornate cathedrals. Everywhere they went, the monk pointed out to the brother the treasures that were stored in the cathedrals. There was gold, and there was silver; there were objects studded with diamonds and objects with rich histories behind them. In the end, the monk proudly told the brother, "Today, we do not have to say Peter's pitiable word: `Silver and gold I do not possess.'" The brother responded coldly, "Indeed, but neither can you say, `In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene rise up and walk.'"
