Short Bread for TODAY!

Who is my Neighbor?

 OUR FAMILY HAD JUST MOVED, TO A SMALL TOWN IN INDIANA
AND RENTED A HOUSE OUT IN THE COUNTRY. WE HAD MET MANY
OF THE TOWNSFOLK, WHO MOSTLY WORKED FARMS, BUT MANY
WORKED OUTSIDE OF THE IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITY, THE
POOREST IN INDIANA THEY SAID.
 SOON AFTER THE MOVE INTO OUR HOME, WE CAME IN  ONE
EVENING TO DISCOVER, THAT OUR HOUSE HAD BEEN BROKEN
INTO, AND SEVERAL ARTICLES OF CLOTHING AND JEWELRY HAD
BEEN STOLEN. NOT THAT IT WAS SIGNIFICANT, BUT THE IDEA
OF OUR BELONGINGS BEING RANSACKED WAS DISTURBING , TO
SAY THE LEAST. WE CHOSE TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM, SAYING
TO OURSELVES THAT MAYBE THEY NEEDED THE CLOTHES MORE
THAN WE DID.
 ONE DAY WHILE IN TOWN, I SPOTTED A WOMAN ADORNED IN
"MY COAT" NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, I KNEW IT WAS ONE THAT
WAS TAKEN FROM MY HOUSE. I JUST WATCHED AS SHE PASSED
ME ON THE STREET, AND IN MY OWN MIND, IT FELT LIKE SHE
BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY STARE. DID SHE REALIZE AT
THAT MOMENT, THAT IT WAS MY COAT SHE WAS WEARING? I
FELT ANGER RISE UP IN ME, BUT COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO
BRING HER INTO ACCOUNT, AFTER ALL GOD HAD REPLACED MY
COAT, : LEAVE IT ALONE, I FELT MYSELF SAYING..
 A FEW YEARS PASSED, AND WE WERE DRIVING HOME DURING A
WINTER SNOWFALL, AND NOTICED A CAR, STALLED BY THE
SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE PULLED IN BEHIND TO SEE IF WE
COULD GIVE THE MAN A HAND.  HE HAD SLID OFF THE ROAD
AND WAS STUCK FAST IN THE SNOW. AS WE BEGIN TO HELP TO
MOVE THE CAR, A WOMAN STEPPED OUTSIDE THE CAR TO HELP
ALSO. TO MY AMAZEMENT, IT WAS THE WOMAN WEARING "MY
COAT". THERE WAS A KNOWING LOOK, IN HER EYES, THAT I
WILL NEVER FORGET, BUT WITH IT CAME A FEELING OF PEACE
AND JOY LIKE I HAVE NEVER FELT. HERE I WAS BEING THE
"GOOD SAMARITAN" TO A LADY THAT HAD ROBBED ME. WORDS
CANT REALLY EXPRESS THE EMOTION THAT FLOODED MY SOUL
THAT DAY AS I REALIZED THAT GOD HAD LET THIS HAPPEN
FOR A PURPOSE, AND TO RID ME OF ANY ANGER OR HATRED
THAT MIGHT HAVE ENSUED FROM THE INCIDENT. MY ONLY HOPE
IS THAT SHE ALSO LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON THAT
FATEFUL DAY.

 JESUS SPOKE A PARABLE IN LUKE 10:30 THAT COMES TO
MIND  AS I WRITE THIS STORY, THIS MAN FELL AMONG
THIEVES AND ONE MAN TOOK TIME TO STOP AND GIVE HIM
HELP.
 JESUS TOLD THIS STORY IN REPLY TO THE QUESTION, WHAT
SHALL I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE? LU:10 25. JESUS
ANSWERED, "LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND YOUR
NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF", UPON WHICH THEY REPLIED, "WHO IS
MY NEIGHBOR"? GET THE PICTURE?

 NOW JESUS IS ASKING THE
QUESTION. "WHO AMONG THESE PASSERSBY WAS A NEIGHBOR TO
THE BEATEN MAN, WHO WAS ROBBED BY THE WAYSIDE? HIS
REPLY WAS, HE THAT SHOWED MERCY ON HIM. THEN JESUS
SAID UNTO HIM "GO AND DO THOU LIKEWISE"

WE ARE THE ONLY BIBLE THAT SOME FOLKS WILL EVER READ,
AND ALL OF US SHOULD "PREACH THE GOSPEL,  USE WORDS
WHEN NECESSARY"  

LOVE, IN HIS SERVICE, SIS. GLENDA