06-25-2007, 04:52 PM
Once there was a man far out in the wilderness who was dying of thirst. No matter where he looked, he could not find any satisfying water to drink.
As night was falling, the man had given up hope of finding water, and he felt he would surely die.
Along came a stranger, on a white horse, who saw the man and the terrible condition he was in. He stopped to lend a hand and offered the man a drink from his canteen.
Before the dying man would take a drink, he wanted to know the source of the water in the canteen. The stranger being perplexed, answered saying, the water was from a river at the edge of the wilderness. He assured the man that the water would save his life. To his surprise, the man refused his offer and stated that he could only drink bottled water which had been purified and blessed by a priest.
Again and again the water was offered.
Again and again the water was refused.
The stranger stayed with the man throughout the darkness of night, but could not get the man to accept his offer of water to drink.
As the sun was beginning to rise, the man died from the lack of life giving water to drink.
The man went to the hell of his belief and thought it must all be a dream. There in his hell, he again met the stranger, who had come on the white horse, and had offered him water to drink.
Why? Asked the stranger, Why didn't you accept the water of life when it was offered? Why didn't you accept the drink?
The water was from the river of life that surrounds all those who are lost in the wilderness. Instead of being in your hell, you could have entered the heaven of life. You could have been in paradise. Now it is to late! You will have to repeat the process all over again. Maybe next time you will get it right.
Know that we will meet again, said the stranger. Until then, contemplation of your mistakes should occupy your time. With this the stranger disappeared.
The man was now totally alone in the absolute darkness of his ignorance wondering:
Why me?
Why has this happened to me?
Where did I go wrong?
Didn't I follow the instructions of the priests?
Didn't I question every little detail?
Who was that stranger anyway?
What has he to do with me?
I know, this is all just a dream! This cannot be happening to me!
So ends the tale of a meeting with "The Stranger."
A Tale given with Love.
Rev Dorris
As night was falling, the man had given up hope of finding water, and he felt he would surely die.
Along came a stranger, on a white horse, who saw the man and the terrible condition he was in. He stopped to lend a hand and offered the man a drink from his canteen.
Before the dying man would take a drink, he wanted to know the source of the water in the canteen. The stranger being perplexed, answered saying, the water was from a river at the edge of the wilderness. He assured the man that the water would save his life. To his surprise, the man refused his offer and stated that he could only drink bottled water which had been purified and blessed by a priest.
Again and again the water was offered.
Again and again the water was refused.
The stranger stayed with the man throughout the darkness of night, but could not get the man to accept his offer of water to drink.
As the sun was beginning to rise, the man died from the lack of life giving water to drink.
The man went to the hell of his belief and thought it must all be a dream. There in his hell, he again met the stranger, who had come on the white horse, and had offered him water to drink.
Why? Asked the stranger, Why didn't you accept the water of life when it was offered? Why didn't you accept the drink?
The water was from the river of life that surrounds all those who are lost in the wilderness. Instead of being in your hell, you could have entered the heaven of life. You could have been in paradise. Now it is to late! You will have to repeat the process all over again. Maybe next time you will get it right.
Know that we will meet again, said the stranger. Until then, contemplation of your mistakes should occupy your time. With this the stranger disappeared.
The man was now totally alone in the absolute darkness of his ignorance wondering:
Why me?
Why has this happened to me?
Where did I go wrong?
Didn't I follow the instructions of the priests?
Didn't I question every little detail?
Who was that stranger anyway?
What has he to do with me?
I know, this is all just a dream! This cannot be happening to me!
So ends the tale of a meeting with "The Stranger."
A Tale given with Love.
Rev Dorris