The Ten Dollar Loan

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritable, to find his five-year-old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?" "Yeah, sure, what is it?" the man replied. "Daddy, how much money do you make an hour" "That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing anyway?" the father said angrily. "I just want to know. Please tell me. How much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy. "Well, if you must know, I make $20 an hour," the father said, hoping the boy would go away and he could get some rest. "Oh," the boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $ 10, please?" The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some of it to buy a silly toy, then you march yourself straight up to your room and go to bed, and think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday, and I don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy went quietly to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even more angry about his son's questions. How dare him ask such questions only to get some money, he thought.

After an hour or so, the father had calmed down, and he began to think he had been a little harsh on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $ 10, and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man opened the door of the boy's room and asked, "Are you asleep, son?" "No, daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," the man said. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you, daddy!" he yelled. Then reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. Slowly counting out his money, the lad then looked up at his father.

"Why did you want more money if you already had some" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy said. "Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time" (Check out Matthew 18:1-6!)

(Smithville Bulletin, Srnithville TN)

FRIENDS

Around the comer I have a friend
in this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
and before I know it, a year is gone.

I never see my old friend's face,
for life is a swift and terrible race,

He knows I like him just as well,
as in the days when I rang his bell.

We were younger then,
and now we are busy, tired men.

Tired of playing a foolish game,
tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say, "I will call on Jim,
just to show that I'm thinking of him."

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
and distance between us grows and grows,

Around the corner yet miles away,
"A telegram ---- your friend died today.'

And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the comer, a vanished friend,

(Market Street Bulletin, Athens, AL)

As you travel through life, use God's map ... the Bible.