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.

thankyou so much for sharing this and putting my sunday in perspective. I will be sending this to the people on my list Thanks Garry

It's been a while since this post was written and maybe no one will read this but I just wanted to say that I really liked your post. Kind of glad I happened upon it. Going through a tough time right now and sometimes I forget who the best person is to lean on. The post made me cry, actually I guess I was crying already. Going through some real self-doubt and questioning things about my life. Sometimes I envy those so successful and educated. I can't even speak in some of their language. I guess when it comes down to it it's just simply me living with ADD. I can sure put up a happy front but I just feel so lonely right now. I think I really need to do some praying and soul searching. I guess someone upstairs led me to this post to remind me of that. He also led me to the kind people here. Thank you. Dee

This was an incredibly inspiring, and enlightened, message, Garry.

Thank you for sharing it with us !


May you always be blessed with internal peace,

Nova

Beautiful story -- thank you for sharing it.

Scattered

WOW ! First time I've seen this Garry. Powerful.....WOW....So Powerful !

BlessedLady

There is something alltogether appealing about the idea of divinity. Not so much in the sense of an all rightous God but more so that maybe, just maybe perfection can exist, does exist, the idea that something can be so perfectly and ideally beautiful that it trancends all notions of duality. That infact beauty exists. There is something appealing about the idea of being rightous. Doing the right thing. Being the best one can be, as there is wandering around not lost, finding gold in things that do not glitter. Consideration, compassion, love, joy, the whole hearted beleif in doing the best for the whole.

Did Jesus really die, in order to save our souls? Maybe, maybe not.

Does the devil contiunaly tempt us with the illusion of satisfaction in places that may seem like light but our shrouded in darkness. Is the devil simply are primitive genetic programing and god are evolutionary urge. Do some people in high authority positions look down from there ferris wheel and point to the people become ants and declare that one life lost for a million dollars is really not so bad. That life and destruction somehow create beauty. That violent chaos is the nessesary contrast to sublime beauty, peace, prosperity and art.

I s there really right and wrong? And yet how can we be void of it. Rightousness leads us on, strong love is our forbearer is it not.

Allio,

Alex.