1 Comments:

At February 28, 2008 at 4:42 PM,  Anonymous said...

Here is a story I wantd to share with you,

Hello everyone,
I have something that I would like to share with you. I wrote this letter the other night after church. My pastor had been teaching on the Holy Spirit and the fruits and also about the "TheCall" coming to Montgomery Alabama. As the service was near an end and we were asked to pray, I did just that. As I prayed, I begun to feel like something heavy on me. My shoulders began to get heavy and my legs weak. I sat down on the pew then just laid down. My breathing began to get heavy and I just continued to pray.
I was about to leave when I felt as if I should stay. I waited a little while longer and stood up and left.
I knew what was on my mind and what I was praying about. I felt like screaming what has burdened me so long.
Here is the letter.
I wish I could sit each one of you down and share what I am about to tell you personally. First I would like for you to imagine you are walking on a bridge with numerous individuals you do not know. The bridge is very long and has narrow and has no safety rails of any kind to prevent people from going over the side. As you walk you are very careful to stay as close in the middle so you do not fall. You look next to you and you see that your son or daughter is walking beside you. You tell them to stay in the middle and warn them of the dangers of getting to close to the edge. But they refuse to obey what you say. They lean over and slip and fall. Your reflexes kick in and you immediately jump toward them and grab hold of their hand. You try to pull them up but they began to get heavy very quickly. You know that if you let go they will most certainly die. Help me! You scream with torment in your voice but no one listens to your plea. You look into the eyes of you child as they begin to slip away from you. You continue to scream for help but still no response. Your child continues to get heavier and heavier. Your child cries for you to help them. You are doing all you can. Then…

Sometime ago I found myself on this bridge. I found myself hanging over the edge. Below me was not my child but a complete stranger. His name was Steve. Steve was just like everyone you have ever met. Your normal – everyday - average Joe. I did not know him until this day. I was walking a few steps behind him when I saw him fall. He held onto the edge of the bridge and was yelling for help. I looked to see if anyone else was going to help him. I had somewhere to be and didn’t want to be late. Plus I figured that there were people assigned to help those in need. When no one tried to help him, I ran toward him and stretched out my hand and he reached for mine and I tried to pull him up. He was so heavy, I remember. I held onto one of his hands while he held onto a bag that he was carrying. I told him to drop the bag and give me his other hand. He refused. He said he could not leave the bag. It was to important to him. I told him that if he did not drop it he would fall. He did not respond. I tried to pull him up over and over but he was to heavy. I yelled for help but people just kept walking by. I saw a man in a police uniform on and asked him for help. He said he was off duty for the weekend. I screamed for help and still no response. I thought to myself,” How did I get myself into this?” “I should have kept walking, it wasn’t my job anyway!” Then I heard the man scream. Help me please! His hand was beginning to slip from mine. Out of nowhere, someone leans over to help me. They grab Steve’s hand along with mine. The both of us pull with all of our might and pull Steve up onto the bridge. Steve stands up and is delighted to be alive. He looks with shame at the bag that he had refused to let go. He realizes that, that bag almost cost him his life. He turns to the stranger and me and gives us a hug and thanks us dearly. He tells us that he has traveled this bridge everyday. He tells us that everyday someone falls. And everyday people walk by un-noticed to the ones that scream for help.

This bridge of course is fictional. But the truth still remains. You can view the bridge as the world. In the world are billions of people. All start off on the bridge going straight. Then many get to close to the side and fall. There are those that try to help those that fall. But there are more falling than those that try to help.
Now place yourself back on the bridge. You are holding onto your child. If you let go they perish forever. As a parent, I believe it is a natural instinct to risk your life to save that of your child. But would you have done the same for Steve? Would you have risked your life for a complete stranger?
Would you answer the Call for help?

Everyday I walk that bridge. My arms grow heavy. My shoulders are tired. My legs give way. I want to scream. I can not say that I did not ask for what I have seen. Because I did. I asked that God would open my eyes and let me see what he sees. It has become a burden though. I prayed this evening that God would take it away. I no longer wanted it. I tried to remember life before the Call. I was happy. I took care of what was mine. I did not bother anyone. No one bothered me. But the call had disrupted my life. I loose sleep. I get depressed. I feel like screaming. I cry more than I must have as a baby. And I still want to scream. I continue to see Steve. I see him hanging over the edge. I yell for help and still no response. Why won’t they listen? Don’t they hear the call for help? Even more, don’t they care?

I never imagined that God would choose me. I mess up alot. I am not a keep it pretty churchy guy. I get frustrated. I complain. I forget to pay my tithes! I am not the one fit for this job! But I know that I must do it. I can't just sit by and watch thousands fall over the edge and say or do nothing. I know that there are many who see what I see and many more that don't. I don't see how they could not.
Are you just walking by as countless fall over the edge? Does it bother you that millions leave this world and head straight to hell. I saw a book this morning called, " 23 minutes in Hell" I don't know if this account is true. But it sure makes hell sound like a terrible place to be. I have heard that Jesus spoke about Hell more than Heaven. I do know that if Hell is real, then why do so Christians fail to warn others of it. That if they die without Christ, that is where they will end up. I will say that because they are most likely not Christians. Charles Spurgeon said, "If you have no desire for others to be saved then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that." You are not a Christian but a Churchian!
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