Email.
Just that one word conjures up all sorts of emotions and thoughts which vary from pleasant to excruciatingly horrible.
Some of the email communications I enjoy are sweet stories that touch my heart and that’s exactly what happened today…
There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.
Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response. Pastor Thomas began to speak….”I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.
I stopped the boy and asked, “What do you have there, son?”
“Just some old birds,” came the reply.
“What are you going to do with them?” I asked.
“Take ’em home and have fun with ’em,” he answered. “I’m gonna tease’em and pull out their feathers to make ’em fight. I’m gonna have a real good time..”
“But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?”
“Oh, I got some cats,” said the little boy. “They like birds. I’ll take ’em to them.”
The pastor was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?”
“Huh?? !!! You don’t want these birds, mister. They’re just plain old field birds. They don’t sing. They ain’t even pretty!”
“How much?” the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, “$10?”
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:
One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. “Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn’t resist Got ’em all!”
“What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked.
Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other.
I’m really gonna have fun!”
“And what will you do when you are done with them?” Jesus asked.
“Oh, I’ll kill ’em,” Satan glared proudly.
“How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.
“Oh, you don’t want those people. They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don’t want those people!!”
“How much? He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your blood, tears and your life.”
“DONE!” replied Jesus and then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.
I loved that story! If you read my blog, you know that above all else, I love my Savior and am thankful beyond words for his sacrifice. Because of Him, I have a wonderful family and a precious child. Clothes, cars, homes, jewelry, and everything else has been lovely to own and have made my life more comfortable. However, when all of that “stuff” has turned to dust, I will still have the love of my family, child and Savior.
Maybe you are new to my blog and didn’t know that I felt that strongly about “religious” things, but now you do. My testimony of Christ is the thread that runs through my life. It is that one piece of knowledge that inspires me to be the person who diligently tries to be better and love deeper every day.
Just in case you were wondering what made me tick.
Your blogger friend with ticks,
Awesome post!!! I love HIM too!!
This was a really good post- I liked the story you used with it. Every one has their own ticks. I'm okay with yours…I like your blog. 🙂
Good story and you are a good person for relating it. Yep — I like redheads with freckles and ticks!
Thanks ya'll. I appreciate you not only visiting my blog, but letting me know that you like it by commenting.
{{{{Big HUGS}}}}} for all of you. Jerry, you just can't my husband I hugged you. LOL
I'm ashamed to be doing this but I just wanted to make your email "bing" again.
I'm sorry….not really…okay, a little bit.
Love your story!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and especially your Sunday worship time.
Very sweet post!!
BTW, You won my giveaway!!! Congratulations, and thanks so much for entering:)
justsewsassy.com
Email me with your address and color choice so I can ship you your new headband!!
stacijohnson14@gmail.com
What an awesome post! I'm going to share it with all of my friends and family!
I am a fairly new follower–found you through blog frog. I somehow had a sneaking suspicion that you were a Christian, but I don't know why. There was something. And now I know. Amen, sister! Glad I found you.
Jerry, you're cracking me up. I just read my previous reply and it left out the word "tell"…SEE! I was intensely working on my mom's online store and that is proof!!!
Thank you for making me "bing" again. It is the first time I've laughed since reading your blog…which I didn't really do because I haven't stopped working on my mom's store stuff all day (wink)
Julie, A Mommy Bloggers BFF, Ruthhill74 – Thank you all for the beautiful comments! I'm so glad you liked the post!
Staci J – Woohoo! I'm a winner!!!! I'm so excited. I'm going to hop on over and send you an email!!!
I'm a winner! I'm a winner! My daughter, Alyssa, is getting a new surprise headband!
I was afraid to open this post at first because I thought you were going to say you had Lyme disease. Instead I got to read a lovely inspirational message. What a treat! nicely done!
Praise God! I love this post Red. I am going to share it with everyone, in fact, I just read it to my husband and he liked it too.
What a great story! Reminds me of a great old hymn: "Jesus Paid it all. All to Him I owe…" Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hi Red, I like that nickname hope you do. I love this story and I am a believer too! In fact as soon as I add the new 'mommy' charms to my line I am adding a new line of spiritual ones too. I have been looking for just the 'perfect words' to put on the back of the designs.
I have found so many new friends here on your community that are believers, that I will run my new design ideas here first and see if you guys think they are good before I actually start making them. I am so happy that somehow I connected to all these people who believe in Jesus! thank you Lord. Now I am really excited!!
xoxo Sandy
Teresha – LOL I'm glad I don't have Lyme disease, so that's just another reason to be thankful!
Katlupe – I'm glad you both enjoyed it. Tell your hubby I said, "Hi!"
Kristi – Send me the video of you singing the song and I will post it on my blog (wink)
Sandy – We are so happy to have you join us in the community chats. You are just a pleasure! It has been so nice getting to know you.
This is an awesome story and it is very true.
loved the post Red! Oh He is so good isn't He?! He doesn't just set us free, He remolds us – He picks us up out of the muck and mire and cleans us off and makes us useable again….
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)