A Seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg,

Tennessee.

One morning, they were eating breakfast in a little restaurant,
hoping toenjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they 

noticed a distinguished looking, white haired man moving from table to

table

visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his

wife, "I hope he doesn't come over here." But sure enough, the man did

come

over to their table.

 

"Where are you folks from?" he asked in a friendly voice.

 

"Oklahoma," they answered.

 

"Great to have you here in Tennessee," the stranger said "What do you do

for

a living?"

 

"I teach at a seminary," he replied.

 

"Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really

good story for you." And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and

sat

down at the table with the couple.

 

The professor groaned and thought to himself, "Great. Just what I

 need--another preacher story!

 

The man started, "See that mountain over there?" (pointing out a

restaurant

window). "Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to

an

unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went,

he

was always asked the same question, "Hey boy, who's your daddy?" Whether

he

was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the

same

question. "Who's your daddy?"

 

He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid

going into stores because that question hurt him so bad. When he was about

12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in

late

and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, Who's your daddy?"

 

But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast, he got caught

and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back

door the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his

shoulder and asked him, "Son, who's your daddy?"

 

The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church

looking at him. Now everyone would finally know the answer to the

question,

"Who's your daddy?" The new preacher, though, sensed the situation around

him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the

following to the scared little boy.

 

"Wait a minute!" he said. "I know who you are. I see the family

resemblance

now. You are a child of God." With that, He patted the boy on his shoulder

and said, "Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it."

 

With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out

the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody

asked him, "Who's your Daddy?" he'd just tell them, "I'm a child of God."

 

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, "Isn't that a

great story?"

 

The professor responded that it really was a great story!

 

As the man turned to leave, he said, "You know, if that new preacher

hadn't

told me that I was one of God's children, I probably would never have

amounted to anything!" And he walked away.

 

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress

over and asked her, "Do you know that man who just left that was sitting

at our table?"

 

The waitress grinned and said, "Of course. Everybody here knows him.

That's

Ben Hooper. He's the former governor of Tennessee!"

 

Someone in your life today needs a reminder they are one of God's

children.

 

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of God stands

forever. Isaiah 40:8 YOU'RE ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN. HAVE A GREAT DAY --