Aha’s For Today, For Tomorrow

What I like to do is spread missing information, not misinformation. 

For years, my Facebook page has been filled with missing information in my Ahas for Today section. I keep doing the Ahas because of all the likes and comments I receive about them. So today, let's explore some short quips and short stories gleaned from others in books and on Facebook that I have posted at one time or another. 

Let’s start with a touching short story from one of the Beatles Facebook pages. 

When John Lennon met Yoko Ono in 1966, he fell madly in love with her. Soon after discarding his then-wife Cynthia, and after a period of dating, he married Yoko in early 1969. John gave his ex-wife, Cynthia, only a divorce settlement, although he knew Cynthia would have to support and raise their son, Julian, who was just five years old.

After a few years, Cynthia would soon be almost broke. She knew she would have to save some money so that she and Julian could survive. Desperate, she decided to sell the love letters and drawings John had given her when they were a passionate couple in their teens. The letters were so sincere, with quotes from "I love you, Cyn."

Can you imagine how much Cynthia must have hurt to get rid of those priceless memories? Cynthia sold them for a considerable amount. The buyer was Paul McCartney. He paid a small fortune for the memories.

A few days later, Cynthia received all the letters and drawings in the mail, which are now carefully framed. Attached to them was also a note that said, “Never sell your memories. With love, Paul McCartney."

Your takeaway: Paul McCartney was not only a great musician and composer but also a great friend. A friend is someone who sticks with you through the tough times. Aha!

Here’s another Aha for you wise and wonderful readers. It’s called Five Things to Master. Ego: It stops you from learning from others. Envy: It prevents you from focusing on yourself to improve. Anger: It clouds your ability to see things, people, and issues clearly. Ignorance: It hinders you from making good decisions. Fear: It holds you back from seizing opportunities.

Your takeaway: Master these five things, or these things will master you. That’s easy to say but much harder to do. Aha!

Here are some short snippets for your consideration. The first one I saw on Facebook while watching the election results on election night: “Tonight is like a combination of Christmas Eve and the night before a colonoscopy.” (Even worse, it could be a colonoscopy on Christmas Eve). 

“Stop giving kids Bible names but no Bible lessons. Moses just tried to sell me crack.” 

“I don’t watch football, so I don’t know who Taylor Swift is, but he really sounds fast.” 

“Be careful of the ‘Spirit of Offense.’ It hears things that were never said. It perceives an insult when none is given.” 

“Having your trust broken can be life-altering, but it doesn’t have to be life-ruining.” Aha!

Here’s another short lesson for you that you may not have realized. 

A giant ship's engine broke down, and no one could repair it. So, they hired a Mechanical Engineer with over 30 years of experience. He inspected the engine very carefully, from top to bottom. After examining everything, the Engineer unloaded his bag and pulled out a small hammer. At some point, the mechanical Engineer tapped something on the engine gently. Soon, the engine came to life. The engine was fixed. A week later, the Engineer told the ship owner that the total cost of repairing the engine was $20,000. "What?" said the owner. "You did almost nothing. Give us a detailed bill." The Engineer replied, "The bill is simple. Tapping with a hammer is $2.00. Knowing where to knock and how much to knock is $19,998. If I do a job in 30 minutes, it's because I've spent 20 years learning how to do that job in 30 minutes. You owe me for the years, not the minutes.”

Takeaway: Appreciate the importance of one's expertise and experience because they result from struggles, experiments, hard work, and even tears. In this case, the goal was to get the engine running again, and it took a real expert to accomplish the goal. Sometimes, life takes an expert trained by experience and knowledge for real life. Aha!

Our last aha is the response to a question by Billy Graham that we all have from time to time. “Someone asked Billy Graham, “If Christianity is valid, why is there so much evil in the world?” To this, he replied, “With so much soap, why are there so many dirty people in the world? Christianity, like soap, must be personally applied to make a difference in our lives.” Aha!

Takeaway: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted…” John 3:16-18a. Aha!