- Jun 27, 2003
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Smoke In My Eyes
I remember a time when I was among those who looked for the worst in everything. I would take the first opportunity I could find to complain and create trouble for others. Well that all changed suddenly one day when God showed me the error of my way.
You see at one time in my life nothing else mattered besides me! That's right me! I would complain if someone took the best parking spot, after all why should I walk the extra 10 feet. And you better shovel the sidewalk if I'm coming over because you really don't want to see me if I slip. But the worst of all was the reaction I had to a daily ritual one of my neighbors started going through.
You see every morning at about 7 am he would go out into his back yard and light a fire. He would chop wood and build an actual fire in the middle of his yard. "Well who did he think he was? is all I could think and every morning I would get up and call the fire department. I mean we were right smack in the middle of a city. Well the fire department would come by and make him put it out every time. He even received a fine each time as I thought he should have. We went through this dance for almost a year until one day he stopped. At the time I had no idea why he had the fires and I didn't care. I didn't need some nut burning down the neighborhood and I thought I might have even smelled the smoke a couple of times. About a month after the fires stopped I noticed a moving van in his driveway loading up all his possessions. I was good with that; after all he was some kind of a nut.
About a month later I had to go to court one day because of a lawsuit I had started against a fast food restaurant where a young woman had accidentally spilled hot coffee on my leg, I was going to take them for all I could get. Well I was standing in the hallway talking to my lawyer during a break when I noticed my old neighbor sitting by himself smiling as usual. Well my lawyer noticed him to and excused himself and went over. They shook hands and began to speak with each other. Finally we were called back into court and the old neighbor slipped from my thoughts.
I won the case and was awarded $1,000,000.000 for damages or pain and suffering as my lawyer referred to it. My lawyer shook my hand and was about to leave when for some reason I asked about my old neighbor. He began to tell me the man's story without knowing I was once his neighbor.
He told me that the gentleman had lost his home about a month prior and was in a bad way. He was losing everything. Then he went into detail. It was just over a year ago when the old man received words that his son and daughter-in -law were killed in a car accident. His grandson would have to come live with him. I gulped as I heard this news, I felt small.
He went on to tell me how the little boy loved campfires more then anything in the world. And how his grandpa used to light one everyday for him. Then he backed up and to fill in the part about the boy having a terminal illness. I felt tears swell up in my eyes as he continued. Grandpa would light the fire every morning and would be forced to put it out by the fire department each time. You see he said he was fined each time because a complaint was lodged and after so many offences the fines got bigger and bigger until he could no longer pay them. But he continued to have the fires, building a giant debt that was sure to consume him. Well eventually his grandson passed on and he quit lighting the fires.
But his debt was so big they took his house away and every asset he had. In fact the next week they would be auctioning the possessions the old man had worked for all is life.
I was totally distraught and for the first time in my adult life I needed to break down. My lawyer noticed my emotional state and began to tell me more. He said it is not as bad as you think you see the grandfather, grandson, son and daughter-in-law are all Christians and that was all that the grandfather needed. He would be with them all again in Heaven the lawyer said and then he asked me if I knew the Lord. I didn't know what to say so I just shook my head no. He took the opening and told me about Jesus dying on the cross for us all. He spoke to me for hours and I heard him.
It was my turn to speak I told him I was the reason the fire department showed up because I was the neighbor who called them. I wept aloud and I told him I wanted to meet Jesus. He brought me to him with his words and I felt the warmth as He came into my heart. I wept even louder.
Well I took the money I was just awarded and I paid all the fines for him and today we are the best of friends. In fact with the rest of my settlement we started a foundation for children with terminal illnesses. We started camp so that kids got the chance to experience a campfire.
Authored by God with keyboard work by Unknown
Submitted by Richard
I remember a time when I was among those who looked for the worst in everything. I would take the first opportunity I could find to complain and create trouble for others. Well that all changed suddenly one day when God showed me the error of my way.
You see at one time in my life nothing else mattered besides me! That's right me! I would complain if someone took the best parking spot, after all why should I walk the extra 10 feet. And you better shovel the sidewalk if I'm coming over because you really don't want to see me if I slip. But the worst of all was the reaction I had to a daily ritual one of my neighbors started going through.
You see every morning at about 7 am he would go out into his back yard and light a fire. He would chop wood and build an actual fire in the middle of his yard. "Well who did he think he was? is all I could think and every morning I would get up and call the fire department. I mean we were right smack in the middle of a city. Well the fire department would come by and make him put it out every time. He even received a fine each time as I thought he should have. We went through this dance for almost a year until one day he stopped. At the time I had no idea why he had the fires and I didn't care. I didn't need some nut burning down the neighborhood and I thought I might have even smelled the smoke a couple of times. About a month after the fires stopped I noticed a moving van in his driveway loading up all his possessions. I was good with that; after all he was some kind of a nut.
About a month later I had to go to court one day because of a lawsuit I had started against a fast food restaurant where a young woman had accidentally spilled hot coffee on my leg, I was going to take them for all I could get. Well I was standing in the hallway talking to my lawyer during a break when I noticed my old neighbor sitting by himself smiling as usual. Well my lawyer noticed him to and excused himself and went over. They shook hands and began to speak with each other. Finally we were called back into court and the old neighbor slipped from my thoughts.
I won the case and was awarded $1,000,000.000 for damages or pain and suffering as my lawyer referred to it. My lawyer shook my hand and was about to leave when for some reason I asked about my old neighbor. He began to tell me the man's story without knowing I was once his neighbor.
He told me that the gentleman had lost his home about a month prior and was in a bad way. He was losing everything. Then he went into detail. It was just over a year ago when the old man received words that his son and daughter-in -law were killed in a car accident. His grandson would have to come live with him. I gulped as I heard this news, I felt small.
He went on to tell me how the little boy loved campfires more then anything in the world. And how his grandpa used to light one everyday for him. Then he backed up and to fill in the part about the boy having a terminal illness. I felt tears swell up in my eyes as he continued. Grandpa would light the fire every morning and would be forced to put it out by the fire department each time. You see he said he was fined each time because a complaint was lodged and after so many offences the fines got bigger and bigger until he could no longer pay them. But he continued to have the fires, building a giant debt that was sure to consume him. Well eventually his grandson passed on and he quit lighting the fires.
But his debt was so big they took his house away and every asset he had. In fact the next week they would be auctioning the possessions the old man had worked for all is life.
I was totally distraught and for the first time in my adult life I needed to break down. My lawyer noticed my emotional state and began to tell me more. He said it is not as bad as you think you see the grandfather, grandson, son and daughter-in-law are all Christians and that was all that the grandfather needed. He would be with them all again in Heaven the lawyer said and then he asked me if I knew the Lord. I didn't know what to say so I just shook my head no. He took the opening and told me about Jesus dying on the cross for us all. He spoke to me for hours and I heard him.
It was my turn to speak I told him I was the reason the fire department showed up because I was the neighbor who called them. I wept aloud and I told him I wanted to meet Jesus. He brought me to him with his words and I felt the warmth as He came into my heart. I wept even louder.
Well I took the money I was just awarded and I paid all the fines for him and today we are the best of friends. In fact with the rest of my settlement we started a foundation for children with terminal illnesses. We started camp so that kids got the chance to experience a campfire.
Authored by God with keyboard work by Unknown
Submitted by Richard