Emails and Me

Email can be a powerful tool for communication, or a major distraction. As a person who has over 300 unread emails in her "daily" mailbox I personally consider emails a burdensome necessity to everyday life. Scanning the new arrivals I quickly open those of importance and glide right past the ones marked with “fwd” or “hi” or “just seeing how you are”…BUSY, I think to myself…too busy to even hit delete.

This explains why I am a person with over 300 unread emails in her mailbox.

But there are moments when I pause and consider the person who felt the need to send me an email with “fwd: Christians” in the subject line. Something about seeing Christians in an email creates the desire to read what other Christians are hoping to convey to one another. Last week I was not disappointed.

A very dear friend forwarded along an email from another friend (yes, one of those double fwd emails we all receive) and because Nora is like me when it comes to opening and responding to emails my curiosity was aroused. I was not disappointed. Below was the message:

A Christian

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.'

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change ...'

The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town?

'Yes' he replied.

'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.'

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits..
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

(author unknown)

May we never be too busy, too tired, or too overwhelmed to remember every moment our lives is to be spent honoring, and spreading the Good News, of Christ.