Post by Rhonda on Jan 24, 2006 22:15:10 GMT -5
Subject: A MUST READ
THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND BEFORE BUT WORTH ANOTHER TRIP!!
Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55
zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so
often?
When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only
partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe
some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was
stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from
Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than
the coming ticket.
A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a
little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was
about to play golf with tomorrow.
Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man
he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." (No smile)
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good. "I've seen some long
days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this
once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something
about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?"
"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our
precinct." (Ouch)
This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?" "Now wait a minute
here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65."
The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car."
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it
shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window.
(The minutes ticked by) Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn't he
asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month
of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door
jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand.
Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob
to pass him the slip.
"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat
in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one
going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
Certainly not a ticket.
Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed
by a car. You guessed it -- a speeding driver. A fine and three
months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All
three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until
Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to
forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I
need to do it again. Even now.
Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left." "Bob"
Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the
road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he
too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and
hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; please
pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully. Remember,
cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.
Funny how you can send a thousand jokes' through e-mail and they spread
like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the
sanctity of life, people think twice about sharing. Funny how when you
go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address
list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think
of you for sending it to them. Pass this on, you may save a life.
Maybe not, but we'll never know if we don't try.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May today there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are
exactly where you are meant to be.
"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when
our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND BEFORE BUT WORTH ANOTHER TRIP!!
Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55
zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so
often?
When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only
partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe
some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was
stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from
Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than
the coming ticket.
A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a
little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was
about to play golf with tomorrow.
Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man
he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." (No smile)
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good. "I've seen some long
days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this
once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something
about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?"
"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our
precinct." (Ouch)
This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?" "Now wait a minute
here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65."
The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car."
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it
shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window.
(The minutes ticked by) Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn't he
asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month
of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door
jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand.
Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob
to pass him the slip.
"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat
in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one
going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
Certainly not a ticket.
Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed
by a car. You guessed it -- a speeding driver. A fine and three
months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All
three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until
Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to
forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I
need to do it again. Even now.
Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left." "Bob"
Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the
road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he
too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and
hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; please
pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully. Remember,
cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.
Funny how you can send a thousand jokes' through e-mail and they spread
like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the
sanctity of life, people think twice about sharing. Funny how when you
go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address
list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think
of you for sending it to them. Pass this on, you may save a life.
Maybe not, but we'll never know if we don't try.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May today there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are
exactly where you are meant to be.
"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when
our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."