----- Original Message ----- From: Barry Stocking <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2001 12:28 PM Subject: (no subject) > Dear Amigos Unidos & my other Amigos: > > This was sent to me by an other friend, and at times like this it really > make you stop and think. > > 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 lad > and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old birds," came the > reply. What are you gonna 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? > > 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?? !!! Why, you don't want them 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 the 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 get 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. > > Jesus said, "DONE! Then He paid the price. The pastor picked up the cage > he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit. > > Notes: Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then > wonder why the world's going to hell. > > Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow > Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God). > > Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they > spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the > Lord, people! think twice about sharing. > > Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not > send it to many on your > address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they > will think of you for sending it to them. > > Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think > of me than what God thinks of me. > > I pray, for everyone who sends this to their entire address book, they > will be blessed by God in a way special for them. And send it back to > the person who sent it, to let them know that indeed it was sent out to > many more. > >