DADDY'S EMPTY CHAIR
>
>  A man's daughter had asked the local minister
>  to come and pray with her father.
>
>  When the minister arrived,
>  he found the man lying in bed with his head
>  propped up on two pillows.
>
>  An empty chair sat beside his bed.
>  The minister assumed that the old fellow
>  had been informed of his visit.
>  'I guess you were expecting me, he said.
>
>  'No, who are you?' said the father.
>  The minister told him his name and then remarked,
>  'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew
>  ?I was going to show up.'
>
>  'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden man.
>  'Would you mind closing the door?'
>  Puzzled, the minister shut the door.
>  'I have never told anyone this,
>  not even my daughter,' said the man.
>
>  'But all of my life I have never
>  known how to pray.
>  At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer,
>  but it went right over my head.'
>
>  I abandoned any attempt at prayer,'
>  the old man continued, '
>  until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me,
>  ?'Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter
>  of having a conversation with Jesus.
>  Here is what I suggest.
>  'Sit down in a chair;
>  place an empty chair in front of you,
>  and in faith see Jesus on the chair.
>
>  It's not spooky because he promised,
>  'I will be with you always'.
>  'Then just speak to him in the same way
>  you're doing with me right now.'
>
>  'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much
>  that I do it a couple of hours every day.
>  I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking
>  to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown
>  or send me off to the funny farm.'
>
>  The minister was deeply moved by the story and
>  encouraged the old man to continue on the journey.
>  Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil,
>  and returned to the church.
>
>  Two nights la ter the daughter called
>  to tell the minister that her daddy
>  had died that afternoon.
>  Did he die in peace?' he asked.
>
>  Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock,
>  he called me over to his bedside,
>  told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek.
>  When I got back from the store an hour later,
>  I found him.
>
>  But there was something strange about his death.
>  ?
>  Apparently, just before Daddy died,
>  he leaned over and rested his head on the chair
>  beside the bed. What do you make of that?'
>
>  The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said,
>  'I wish we could all go like that.'
>
>  Just send this to four people or more,
>  and do not break this, please.
>
>  Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
>
>  I asked God for water, He gave me an ocean.*
>  I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden.*
>  I asked God for a friend, He gave me all of YOU...
>  If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
>
>  Happy moments, praise God.
>  Difficult moments, seek God.
>  Quiet moments, worship God
>  Painful moments, trust God.
>  Every moment, thank God.
>
>  Pass this message to seven people
>  except you and me.
>  You will receive a miracle tomorrow
>  ( just do it ).