One of the toughest things to rationalize.......

This evening one of my Facebook Friends posted a link to....this.

The very concept of faith healing is foreign to me, but I'm certainly able to recognize a serious civil rights issue here. I cannot think about all-encompassing faith without thinking of the story I heard once from my father-in-law, who was a very moral and religious man. I'm also a person who's seen enough evidence to think that modern medicine can kill you too, sometimes. And we also live in a country in which rights to believe are fundamental. I'm sure you already know that my next words will be, "but each human has its own idea about which 'rights' are 'right'. A moral as well as legal dilemma."

"There was a preacher who found himself trapped by a heavy-duty flood. He was standing on his rooftop, looking out over the endless expanse of water that surrounded him.

He had been there a while, praying to The Lord to deliver him, and so far, he had not been "delivered". Two men came by in a rowboat, and tried to convince him to go with them to safety. 'The Lord will be taking care of me', said the preacher, 'that's a small boat, and you need all the space you can to rescue other people. Don't worry about me. The Lord will take care of me'.

Not too long afterward, a rather large ferry boat, which was assisting in rescue efforts, came up to him, and offered him a ride to safety. His response was virtually the same, that there were many others out there in the water who needed saving, and he was a man of God, and had faith that The Lord was going to take care of him.

The water continued to rise, and eventually he was balancing on the very peak of his house, with water all around, when a helicopter came into view. The helicopter dropped a line, and they did their best to get him to choose to come aboard. The preacher, with his abiding faith, waved them away. The Lord was going to take care of him!

Eventually the water completely engulfed the preacher's house, he was swept away and drowned.
Upon his arrival at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter immediately recognized him and told him that The Boss wanted to see him in person.

When he came face to face with The Lord, he cried, 'Lord, Lord, why did you let me drown. I had faith in you, and you ignored me!'

The Lord responded....'What more could I have done? I sent you a rowboat, then I sent you a ferry, then I even sent you a helicopter, and you waved them all away!'"

There is an old saying, the source of which I can't remember (if I ever knew) that "The Lord helps those who help themselves".




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