Christian Reflection and Prayer

OUR LORD WORKS IN WONDEROUS
WAYS, HIS MIRACLES TO PERFORM!!!

A preacher concluded that his church
was getting into very serious financial
troubles. While checking the church
storeroom, he discovered several cartons
of new Bibles that had never been opened
and distributed. So at his Sunday sermon,
he asked for three volunteers from the
congregation who would be willing to sell
the Bibles door-to-door for $10 each to
raise the desperately needed money for
the church. Jack, Paul and Louie all
raised their hands to volunteer for the task.

The minister knew that Jack and Paul
earned their living as salesmen and were
likely capable of selling some Bibles. But
he had serious doubts about Louie who
was a local farmer, who had always kept
to himself because he was embarrassed
by his speech impediment. Poor Louis
stuttered badly. But, not wanting to
discourage Louis, the minister decided
to let him try anyway.

He sent the three of them away with the
back seat of their cars stacked with Bibles.
He asked them to meet with him and report
the results of their door-to-door selling
efforts the following Sunday.

Anxious to find out how successful they
were, the minister immediately asked Jack,
'Well, Jack, how did you make out selling
our Bibles last week?'

Proudly handing the minister an envelope,
Jack replied, 'Using my sales prowess, I
was able to sell 20 Bibles, and here's the
$200 I collected on behalf of the church.'

'Fine job, Jack!' The minister said, vigorously
shaking his hand. 'You are indeed a fine
salesman and the Church is indebted to you.'

Turning to Paul, 'And Paul, how many
Bibles did you sell for the church last week?'
Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest,
confidently replied, 'I am a professional
salesman. I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the
church, and here's $280 I collected.'

The minister responded, 'That's absolutely
splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional
salesman and the church is indebted to you.'

Apprehensively, the minister turned to
Louie and said, 'And Louie, did you manage
to sell any Bibles last week?'

Louie silently offered the minister a large
envelope.

The minister opened it and counted the contents.
'What is this?' the minister exclaimed. 'Louie,
there's $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that
you sold 320 Bibles for the church, door to door, i
n just one week?'

Louie just nodded.

'That's impossible!' both Jack and Paul said
in unison. 'We are professional salesmen, yet
you claim to have sold 10 times as many Bibles
as we could.'

'Yes, this does seem unlikely,' the minister agreed.
'I think you'd better explain how you managed to
accomplish this, Louie.'

Louie shrugged. 'I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't
kn-kn-know f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure,' he stammered.

Impatiently, Peter interrupted. 'For crying out
loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them
when they answered the door!'

'A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was,' Louis replied,
'W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy
th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks
---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me
t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-t-to y-y-you??'