Christian Short Stories

George writes: "I am retired, for the fourth time, and live with my wife in Westbrook, Maine. I retired officially in October of 1999, and after two years of relaxation(???) I went back to work and worked three more jobs at a total of ten more years retiring last January. We are Maineiacs by birth and Christian by Grace. Jesus is Lord of All. Please contact me at gdavis10@maine.rr.com with comments on any of my stories. I appreciate you all for reading my entries. May God Bless your day! George."

Yesterday as I waited at the traffic light I saw a man sitting on a makeshift seat with a sign in his lap. The sign, typed on a word processor, simply stated: Homeless, Please help me. God bless you.

The traffic was heavy due to the Christmas season, and a person in a vehicle up ahead of me motioned for the man to come to his car. The man, nearly running, went over to the car, hand out, and waiting. The driver passed the indigent man a package of peanut butter crackers. The man looked at them, walked back over to his seat, put the crackers in his pocket, and then took them out again and looked at them as if to say, “What are these for?”

I couldn’t help uttering a chuckle, though to the needy man it wasn’t funny I am sure. I watched him stare at that package, finally, he put them back in his pocket, repositioned his sign and continued waiting for someone to pass him... something he could really use, like money.

Don’t we act the same way with God when he gives us crackers instead of money? We pray for something, and we expect the Lord is going to give us exactly what we pray for in the first place. God, however, knows what is best for us, and He answers our prayers accordingly.

Ever wonder why you took the right fork in the road and not the left. You wanted to take the left road, but something inside told you to take the other side? You may never know the answer, but just maybe it was God’s plan for you. Maybe if, you had taken the other route, there was an disaster waiting there for you.

Years ago I read an article in a magazine that made me shutter. A man was hitchhiking across the country, and a car pulled up to give him a ride. When the hitchhiker got into the car, he noticed a Bible on the front seat next to the driver. The two men drove for miles, discussing various topics, but staying away from mentioning the Bible that was so obviously placed on the seat between them.

They arrived at Phoenix Arizona, and the hitchhiker said he would get out there. He thanked the driver, and watched as the car drove out of sight.

Two years later the driver of that vehicle had become involved in prison ministry, in California. He was at one of the prisons in that state leading a Bible study. A man, after the meeting, came up to him.

“Remember me?” The prisoner asked.

“I’m sorry, I am afraid I don’t,” the teacher said.

“Two years ago I was hitchhiking across the country, and you gave me a ride.”

The teacher thought a moment. “Oh, yes I remember you now. What happened to you? Why are you in here?”

The prisoner told him this story: “After you left me off in Phoenix I caught another ride. I killed that driver and took his money when we got to California. When you picked me up I had all intentions of killing and robbing you, but when I saw the Bible on the seat, I couldn’t do it.”

With God, nothing is left to chance. I do not believe in coincidence. Everything happens for a purpose, God’s purpose.

Those crackers were given to that man for food. His mind, however, was on something else, and he missed the miracle God presented to him. That Bible was placed on that man’s seat, not by coincidence, but by the Grace of God, and it saved that man’s life.

Church cannot, and never could save anyone. Water Baptism does not save you. You can be baptized so many times you know every frog’s first name and every fishes Social Security number, but if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, you are lost. There is only one person who can save you; Jesus Christ, He is the Savior, and it is His birthday we celebrate on CHRISTMAS, so PLEASE keep CHRIST in CHRISTMAS.

(© 2012 George E. Davis – All rights reserved. Written material may not be duplicated without permission.)