A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS (standard:Inspirational stories, 1926 words)
Author: The Tea Lady	Added: Jun 18 2010	Views/Reads: 3271/2159	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
There's always someone by your side, when you need him. All you have to do is call.

Eighteen year old Danny nervously sat in church, next to his mother.  He
wore a brand new suit, dark blue, with matching shirt and tie.  Danny 
hadn't worn a suit in four years and he kept fidgeting with the knot in 
his tie.  He had also gotten a haircut for the occasion, and he missed 
his dreadloks.  The choir was joyfully singing, "Having a little talk 
with Jesus makes it right," and soon everyone joined in.  Eighteen year 
old Jerry, the pianist, wore a light blue suit.  He sang while playing, 
and tapped his feet to the beat of the music.  A big wide grin spread 
across his baby face.  There was little resemblance between these young 
men and the Jerry and Danny of a few months ago. 

Four years ago, the boys' fathers were good friends and co-workers
working the night shift at the same factory.  At 11:30 pm, one night, 
the families received a frightening call from the police.  Dan Sr., and 
Jerry Sr., were riding home in Jerry Sr.'s car when a large moving van, 
going the other way on the highway, crashed head on into the car.  The 
car flew off the highway, did a sommersault over the guardrail, and 
plunged five feet into a ditch.  The van driver had been driving all 
night and fell asleep at the wheel.  The only witnesses were the large 
bright, full moon and the bright shiny stars that made the dark night 
come alive.  The van driver suffered only minor injuries, but the two 
men were taken to the hospital in critical condition.  While everyone 
else waited to hear from the doctors, Jerry and Danny knelt down in the 
waiting room to pray for their fathers' lives.  Sadly, both men died. 

Days later, at the family church, Pastor Jones refused to allow the
funeral to be held there because neither man, having to work most 
nights and weekends, attended church regularly nor did they give what 
he considered a suitable offering, even though they donated much of 
their spare time to help clean up the church property. 

"I cannot make time for part time members," the pastor said,
sarcastically. 

Eventually, with much help from family and friends, services were held
at the funeral home and the men were buried.  This was the last the 
boys wanted anything to do with church. 

"I guess you have to pay to be in church," declared Danny. 

His mother tried to correct him, "The word of God is free.  It's just
that the church has expenses." 

Jerry's mom added, "The pastor just didn't understand that some
weekends, your fathers had to work."  Both woman worked part time jobs, 
four days a week. 

"Forget it, Mom," Jerry said, "church is for suckers." 

"Church does take care of people," added Danny, "as long as those people
are the minister and his family." 

Indeed, before their untimely deaths, Jerry Sr., and Dan Sr.,
contributed much of their spare time mowing the church lawn, painting 
and taking care of the maintenance work of the church, without pay.  
With no one having the time or desire to replace the men, the small 
neighborhood church looked very shabby, while the charismatic pastor 
and Mrs. Jones had a nice home and a new car every year.  The pastor's 
only employment wa the church while his wife worked as a registered 
nurse.  Jerry's mother, along with Danny's mom, tried to get the boys 
to attend church every Sunday, or at least attend the weekly Bible 
study classes. 

"Why?" asked Jerry, "Since God helps those who help themselves, we try
to help ourselves." 

"By any means possible," added Danny, laughing. 

"Your idea is to help yourselves by stealing, and that's a sin.  One way
or another, someone has to pay." 

"That's right," added Danny's mom, nodding her head toward both boys,
"and someone will." 

"As long as it's not us.  Let's go, Danny," Jerry called to his friend.


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