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| INSPIRATIONAL
MESSAGES Please submit inputs via e-mail to ekpk@godlymen.org
WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?
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Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often? When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow. Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform. "Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this." "Hello, Jack." No smile. "Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids." "Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good. "I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct." Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics. "What'd you clock me at?" "Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?" "Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket. "Please, Jack, in the car." Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip. "Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice. Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read: "Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it-a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters All three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left." "Bob" Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HIGHWAY 109 A drunk man in an Oldsmobile They said had run the light That caused the six-car pileup On 109 that night. When broken bodies lay about And blood was everywhere, The sirens screamed out elegies, For death was in the air. A mother, trapped inside her car, Was heard above the noise; Her plaintive plea near split the air: "Oh, God, please spare my boys!" She fought to loose her pinioned hands; She struggled to get free, But mangled metal held her fast In grim captivity. Her frightened eyes then focused On where the back seat once had been, But all she saw was broken glass and Two children's seats crushed in. Her twins were nowhere to be seen; She did not hear them cry, And then she prayed they'd been thrown free, "Oh, God, don't let them die!" Then firemen came and cut her loose, But when they searched the back, They found therein no little boys, But the seat belts were intact. They thought the woman had gone mad And was traveling alone, But when they turned to question her, They discovered she was gone. Policemen saw her running wild And screaming above the noise In beseeching supplication, "Please help me find my boys! They're four years old and wear blue shirts; Their jeans are blue to match." One cop spoke up, "They're in my car, And they don't have a scratch. They said their daddy put them there And gave them each a cone, Then told them both to wait for Mom To come and take them home. I've searched the area high and low, But I can't find their dad. He must have fled the scene, I guess, and that is very bad." The mother hugged the twins and said, While wiping at a tear, "He could not flee the scene, you see, For he's been dead a year." The cop just looked confused and asked, "Now, how can that be true?" The boys said, "Mommy, Daddy came And left a kiss for you. He told us not to worry And that you would be all right, And then he put us in this car with The pretty, flashing light. We wanted him to stay with us, Because we miss him so, But Mommy, he just hugged us tight And said he had to go. He said someday we'd understand And told us not to fuss, And he said to tell you, Mommy, He's watching over us." The mother knew without a doubt That what they spoke was true, For she recalled their dad's last words, "I will watch over you." The firemen's notes could not explain The twisted, mangled car, And how the three of them escaped Without a single scar. But on the cop's report was scribed, In print so very fine, An angel walked the beat tonight On Highway 109. by Ruth Gillis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Glove "You're so quiet, Son. What's on your mind?" asked Ben's father as he stopped at Ben's room to tell him good night. Ben put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling above his bed. "Oh, I've just been wondering if I should be a missionary." "You don't seem very excited about the idea," said Dad. "It seems like such a hard job," said Ben, propping himself up on one elbow. "I have this feeling that I might not be any good at it. What if GOD calls me to do something I can't do!" Ben's father thought for a moment, then reached over to Ben's desk and picked up his baseball glove. "What's this?" he asked. Ben laughed. "Don't be silly, Dad! It's my ball glove." Dad walked over to the corner of the room. He propped the glove against the wall, found a baseball, and threw it at the glove. Though the ball hit the center of the glove, it rolled to the floor. Dad picked up the glove and looked at it in disgust. "This glove is a total failure," he said, shaking his head. Ben laughed and laughed. "Oh, Dad, you know it can't catch by itself! It has to have a hand inside." Dan smiled at Ben. "You're just like this glove," he said. "GOD has a purpose for your life, Ben, just as there is a purpose for this glove. You put your hand inside the glove to give it guidance and strength-- you give it power to catch the ball. In the same way, GOD will give ou power to do whatever HE calls you to do. Don't worry, Son, GOD will never prop you in a corner and leave you alone. It's HIS Mighty Hand that does the work when you are willing to be used." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Heaven's Grocery Store As I was walking down life's highway many years ago I came upon a sign that read Heavens Grocery Store. When I got a little closer the doors swung open wide And when I came to myself I was standing inside. I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere One handed me a basket and said "My child shop with care." Everything a human needed was in that grocery store And what you could not carry you could come back for more First I got some Patience. Love was in that same row. Further down was Understanding, you need that everywhere you go. I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith a bag or two. And Charity of course I would need some of that too. I couldn't miss the HOLY GHOST It was all over the place. And then some Strength and Courage to help me run this race. My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace, And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me. Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill, For I thought I had everything to do the Master's will. As I went up the aisle I saw Prayer and put that in, For I knew when I stepped outside I would run into sin. Peace and Joy were plentiful, the last things on the shelf. Song and Praise were hanging near so I just helped myself. Then I said to the angel "Now how much do I owe?" He smiled and said "Just take them everywhere you go." Again I asked "Really now, How much do I owe?" "My child" he said, " JESUS paid your bill a long long time ago." Praises to GOD for His love for us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Godly Men of Integrity Ministries
E-mail: ekpk@godlymen.org
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