MARCH 2018
(continued from page 1)
On to the next question. What is that way
of dealing with life’s problems that will get me
happiness now and heaven later? Well, the answer
is living the upside world of Jesus Christ. The
world tells me to be first; Jesus tells me to choose
to be last. The world tel ls me to take it easy and be
served; Jesus tells me to work hard and serve
others. The world tells me to love family, friends
and neighbors; Jesus tells me to love all, including
our enemies. The world tells me to get even; Jesus
tells me to forgive all and, once again, even my
enemies. Jesus’ advice just seems CRAZY. But I
have learned it isn’t. Jesus’ advice is the ONLY
way to happiness now and heaven later. The
growth that produces happiness now and heaven
later is a byproduct of seeking out and hugging a
life filled with hard work and struggle. Happiness
now and heaven later come from HUGGING life’s
thorns.
Here’s a modern fable. Walter had polio as
a child. The disease left him a cripple. Walter
grew-up poor. He went to work at fifteen. In a
wheelchair. His salary was always minimum
wage. Walter never married. He had no children.
Walter developed diabetes at thirty-seven. He lost
his left leg when he was forty-eight. He got
prostate cancer at 52 and died a year later.
Walter was everyone’s helper. It was hard, but
Walter loved all. He cared for all. Walter learned to hug
the problems of others because he first hugged his own
problems.
One person, his cousin Fred, eulogized Walter at
his funeral. Fred said Walter lived a cursed life. While
Fred was speaking, Jesus was walking Walter through the
Pearly Gates. As thy walked, Jesus told Walter, “My
brother, you lived a blessed life. I dumped crap on you
all your life and, every time, you turned it into fertilizer
and grew a more beautiful life. You learned from your
struggles to empathize with everyone else’s problems and
reach out to them in love.” Walter said, “I didn’t like it,
Lord, but all that crap was a great gift.” Jesus slapped
Walter on the back, laughed and said, “Walter, you
hugged thorns all your life. Now, smell the roses
forever.”
Until this point, I have spoken in the first person.
But, now I switch. Do YOU want HEAVEN? If so, be
like Walter. HUG your THORNS.
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