admin“You make me know the path of life; in your presence is unbounded joy, in your right hand eternal delight.” Psalms 16:11
I think most of us like to have ‘fun!’ We may decide whether to do this or that according to which would be more fun. My father wrote a short story about ‘fun’ that is quite startling.
IT’S A LOT OF FUN!
By Charlie Grier
Janie was 15 and she was excited. Her parents had just moved into a house on the right side of town. Now for the first time in her life she could hold her head high, and perhaps, even become one of the popular kids in school.
It was exciting! She could have a lot of friends soon, and maybe even participate in sleep-over parties.
The first day in school went just great. She made new friends and even got a date! She thought. “I want to be popular and I’m going to be now, because I just got a date with the star of the team!”
She did have some problems to deal with. Her parents had said she was too young to date so she had to figure something out. She decided to tell them that she was visiting a girl friend. They wouldn’t know the difference. She had not been in the habit of lying to her parents, but this was different. That date was important to her and they just wouldn’t understand.
Well the pizza was good and the party was great but before the evening was over Henry was half drunk and was starting to show it. Then to her surprise and horror everybody was smoking dope and Henry had already had had two joints when he made his first pass at her. This was not what Jeanie wanted at all, and she fought him off with all the strength she had. By now she had thought it through.
Her first date was not what she expected at all. Henry’s kisses were now meaningless and even repulsive. He wasn’t interested in her — only in her body! She detested him! And she no longer wished to be popular. She wanted to be back with her family, going to church, reading her Bible and living for God.
“Take me home!” she demanded. “I want to go home!”
Henry was filled with rage! He cranked the motor and stepped on the gas. She begged and pleaded with him to slow down, but angrily, he drove faster and faster! They were taking the curves on two wheels. Then there was a big flash! “Please God, we’re going to crash, help us!” It was too late.
Jeanie didn’t remember the force of the impact. Everything suddenly went black. She felt someone remove her from the twisted rubble. She was placed in an ambulance. She learned there were two cars involved. Then she passed out.
She again awoke in the hospital. They gently informed her that Henry was dead. “Those in the other car?” she inquired, fearfully.
“They are dead, also,” she was informed.
Again Jeanie prayed, “Father forgive me. It was all my fault. I’m sorry I lied to Mom. I didn’t mean to do anything wrong. I only wanted to have fun. Please forgive me. I’ll never do it again. I want to live for you.”
But Jeanie didn’t recover from the accident. She is living for God alright, but she is now living in Heaven with her beloved parents — those in the other car were her own Mom and Dad!
Young people, I wrote this story especially for you. Jeanie and Henry are fictitious characters, but the story I told has happened over and over again, in slightly different ways. It will probably be repeated in scores of other lives within the next twenty-four hours. My heart goes out to the youth of our day, because I was young once myself. I wish I could do something to help you.
It’s good to have fun. We all need it. But not all fun turns out to be funny. Before you take a rash step of any kind, think it through, and pray about it. It may not be what you want, after all. The only thing that saved me from a life of ruin and despair is the Lord Jesus Christ. Make Him King of your lives.
-End quote
MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE
By William R. Featherstone
My Jesus I love Thee,
I know Thou art mine,
For Thee all the follies
Of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer,
My Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee,
My Jesus, ’tis now.
JOY NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY
By Dwight L. Moody
In the second century, they brought a martyr before a king, and the king wanted him to recant and give up Christ, but the man spurned the thought. The king said: “If you don’t do it, I will banish you.” The man smiled and answered: “You can’t banish me from Christ. He says He will never leave me nor forsake me.” The king got angry, and said: “Well, I will confiscate your property and take it all from you.” And the man replied: “My treasurers are laid up on high; you cannot get them.” The king became still more angry, and said: “I will kill you.” “Why,” the man answered, “I have been dead forty years; I have been dead with Christ; dead to the world. My life is hid with Christ in God, and you cannot touch it.” And so we can rejoice, because we are resurrection ground, having risen with Christ. Let persecution and opposition come. “Your joy no man taketh from you.”
-God’s Treasury of Virtues (Honor Books, Inc. OK c1995) p. 73
