A small church held a...
Illustration
A small church held a mid-week service in which fervent prayers were uttered by new converts seeking "the Holy Ghost." After an hour the pastor questioned the three. "Yes," said an older man, "the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sins, and told me I was as pure as the angels in heaven." "Yes," said a middle-aged father, "the Holy Ghost convicted me of my drinking and I vowed never to touch alcohol again." "Yes," said a young woman, "the Holy Spirit filled my heart with great love, inspiring me to express more love to others." As the service ended the pastor and people left the church and hurriedly walked toward their automobiles, ignoring an injured dog which had been struck by a passing car and now lay whimpering in the gutter. However, the first of the three converts stopped, lifted the dog out of the street onto the sidewalk and then walked off. The second convert walked around the dog, took a bottle of whiskey from his pocket and dropped it into the gutter. He walked off whistling, "Amazing Grace." The third convert, the young woman, exited the church, saw the dog and scooped it up in her arms. Carrying it to her car, she tenderly laid the injured animal on the seat beside her as she began a search for a veterinarian. The grateful dog lifted its head and began to lick the stroking hand of the young woman. -- Byrd
