[StBernard] Gods Grace.... this is powerful

[Westley Annis]

God's  Grace

 
I wonder  how many people will delete this without reading  it because of
the title. It is a shame but this  message is very true. Hope you are all as
blessed as I was by this  story.

 
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 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?? !!!  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 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."

 

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

 
The pastor  picked up the cage and walked from the  pulpit.

 

 
I pray, for  everyone who sends this on, whether to their  entire address
book or just a few, that God will  bless them in a special  way.

 
And for  those that just deleted it......... and I KNOW  there will
be......  ?

 
WHAT ARE  YOU GOING TO  DO?

 
I thank God  everyday for my blessed life. I'm not rich,  don't live in a
mansion and don't have the  nicest of material things, but, I'm healthy,
have a roof over my head, clothes on my back,  food on my table, a family
that loves me and  lifelong friends to get me through. I'd say I  have a lot
to be thankful for.
AMEN