There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town.One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, oldbird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if inresponse, Pastor Thomas began to speak. . . ..

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming towardme swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wildbirds, shivering with cold and fright.



I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered.
"I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight.
I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you dothen?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds.I'll take 'em to them."



The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds,son?"

"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister.

They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't evenpretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"



The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed itin the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cageand gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and agrassy spot.
Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the barspersuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation.
Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting.



"Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there.
Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marryand divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink andsmoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and killeach other.
I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?"Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.



"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good.
Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse youand kill you. You don't want those people!!"

"How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and yourlife."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.



The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

I thank God everyday for my blessed life. I'm not rich, don't live in a mansionand don't have the nicest of material things, but, I'm healthy, have aroof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my table, a family that loves meand lifelong friends to get me through. I'd say I have a lot to be thankfulfor.

Have a blessed week further and ask the lord to open your eyes to see what hehas done for you, as long as Christ wears the crown grace will abound......John3:16

God bless you!