Which decision do you make if you know that you are going to die anyway?
There are 4 lepers at the entrance of the city gate. They, like the rest of the city are starving to death, plus they are dieing a slow and painful death from leprosy. So they have a conversation that could go something like this. "Hey Frank, what do you think will happen if we go back into the city?" "Well,..." Frank responds, "... we will either die from starvation or they will kill us for going inside." "So Charlie, what do you think will happen to us if we stay right here where we are at?" Charlie quickly snips back, "We're going to die here you fool! Don't you know the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. If you think that things are going to change here then....." "OK Charlie we got it, settle down." "Harry, got any ideas?" Harry thinks about it a few moments and says, "Yea! I've got one." The other three are all ears now! "Come on Harry, tell us!" "Well, you're not going to like it at all." Harry quips, "But here we go." "All the food and provisions we need are down there in the Arameans camp. Why don't we go and surrender ourselves to them? If they kill us, so what? We're going to die anyway and if they capture us as prisoners, then they have to feed us!" Everyone looks at each other with amazement at Harry's suggestion. Charlie bristles at the thought to which Harry responds. "Hold it right there, aren't you the one who just said that doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is insanity? Well, I think us just sitting here waiting to die is insane. At least we can try to do something about our plight and maybe, just maybe God will go with us." "God!!" Frank quips, "God!! Where is God? Didn't you hear the King? God is the one who got us in this mess and He isn't doing a thing to get us out." Harry responds and then asks, "Yea, I know what the king said, but did you hear what Elisha said.?" "Yea, I heard it too." responds Charlie, "Tomorrow we will all have enough food to eat." Harry now feeling some faith rise up with his souls says, "Well what if, just what if it is the faith of 4 lepers here and now that makes the difference for everyone else." "We all know that if we do nothing we are going to die." What if?" asks Harry.
About that time Charlie gets up and start walking towards the Arameans camp. "What are you doing?" the others shout. "I'm going over there! Are you coming or not?" Charlie growls back. "Ok, ok, ok." Frank yells, "But tell me one thing. What convinced you?" Charlie now calmly responds to his dear friends, "It finally dawned on me that God understands the definition of insanity better than I do and that if things are going to change around here, someone has to do something different. Today, that person has to be me." The other three look at each other and then join their friend as they go for a walk.
These four lepers decide not to accept the world terms for their future and thus determine to place their hope in the hands of God. As you read this story about Frank, Harry and Charlie who is the fourth leper? The lepers name is (insert your name here.) So where are you going today?
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