Agonozing Decision

[NathanStinson]

There was this engineer who worked at a train juncture. His job was very important, he pulled the lever that made the tracks seperate so that trains wouldn't collide.

He has a son that he loved very much, in fact he was his only son, he was his pride and joy.

One day he his wife had to take a trip, so he had to take his son to work with him.

He told his son to stay right with him and he could help pull the lever. It was nearing noon when he saw two trains approaching. He hurried up the hill to the switch area. When he got there he found that his son was not with him! He looked around, the trains were fast approaching. Then he gazed towards the tracks and he saw his son, still standing on the switch track. As the trains approached his hands froze on the lever. He could do nothing and save his sons life or he could pull the lever and save untold hundreds lives. With tears streaming down his face he pulled the lever and forfeited the life of his son. The trains sped by, the people inside oblivious to the sacrifice that was made by a Father.

Sure, later many would hear of it and be very greatful, but there were some who would hear and not care at all and some that would not even hear about the news!

 

 

 

I know this is a lame analogy of God's love for us, but the principle is the same, God gave his son's life for ours<IMG alt="" src="http://www.christianforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif" border=0>

 

[4jc]

Cool story Nathan.
I'd do the same thing.
Love is very important.

 

[NathanStinson]

thats a powerful thing to say

 

[george]

Thanks, that was nice.

 

[NathanStinson]

Your welcome

 

[Lbiagm]

good story nathan made me cry and touched me

 

[4jc]

Originally posted by NathanStinson
thats a powerful thing to say

Yeah, but you would do it too.

 

[4jc]

It would be even better if I could replace him and instead of him dying, I'd take his place.
Like Paul said, it would be better to die cause you would be with Christ sooner, but to stay here would be better too cause you could witness for Christ

 

[Lbiagm]

it is sad but yet heroic.

 

[NathanStinson]

good points by both of you

 

[ZiSunka]

Nice story. Makes a point.

But the passengers on a train can feel the impact when a pedestrian is hit. It makes a lurching sensation throughout the length of the train. Then the whole train has to stop so accident can be investigated. Everyone on the train knows something is wrong.

And failing to pull the lever would not have saved the son, since he would have undoubtably be hit by the wreckage. The father would likely have died in the crash as well. Have you ever seen a train wreck? Man, those cars go eveyrwhere, like ice cubes dumped out of a tray. It's not safe to be within a hundred feet of the tracks or you might get crushed by a car flying off the tracks!

Also, the engineer is the one who drives the engine. The switchman would activate the switch.

Just a few points that might help you write an even better revision.

But the word picture itself is good.

 

[NathanStinson]

I didn't write it

 

[NathanStinson]

and you actually think he could think of something like that in an instant? just a thought

 

[GraftMeIn]

I like the way this analogy brings human emotions into the picture. Makes one stop and think a bit.

 

[NathanStinson]

yes it does

 

[Hector Medina]

Powerful it was.

Even better than Footprints!
Nice stories

In Jesus' name,

Hector

 

[NathanStinson]

I take it you dont like footprints?

 

[Hector Medina]

No,I love footprints!


I'm sorry,I overshot my explanation there.

--Hector

 

[NathanStinson]

That's quite allright

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by NathanStinson
and you actually think he could think of something like that in an instant? just a thought

If he worked on the railroad very long, he would have.

My ex-father-in-law was a signal maintainer and one day there was a train wreck right outside our home town. I went with him to see the wreckage because I'd never seen a train wreck before. The cars were all over the place, some of them were pile on top of each other, and others were scattered around like the dice in a Yahtzee game. Anyone within a hundred feet of the tracks would have been hit either by the trains or the flying debris.

When I asked the railroad people if train wrecks always looked like that, they said that they often are worse. Trains don't wreck like automobiles, the energy of the impact races down the train and shakes the cars lose and scatters them around.

So if the switchman had been working very long on the railroad, he would have known that the train wreck would have killed him and his son anyway.

The real choice he made was between killing only his son by throwing the switch, or killing his son, himself and and everyone on both trains by not throwing the switch.