There once was a poor man stealing
just to keep up with the life
he didn't have, and resented.
The poor man cursed the problems
each day presented.
The Christians gave food once, or twice,
but the zip locked bags of beans and rice
couldn't fulfill the need for milk by his
growing teen, so he was tempted to steal.
He thought;
'Maybe there are magic pintos
among the beans, but I'll never know.
Everything good I've tried to plant
never seems to grow'!
The poverty he suffered by
began in his mind a long time ago
when his daddy injected time after time;
such spoken beliefs as;
"We're just poor folks son,
we can never afford a new bike"!
Pintos were a way of life then;
one he grew up on believing in.
Christians back then gave beans too.
That was his main course of food.
He thought,
'If I become a Christian,
I wouldn't be a bean giver
to the ones like me, dying to taste
some meat! But how does one
aspire to such a belief'?
The question he had asked himself
stayed with him all day on his way
to steal away the goods in a house.
The owner was a Christian he knew so-so.
He was one of the bean givers
that always prayed for his soul!
Inside, he opened the owner's cub boards
and they were bare except for pintos
and rice stored in zip locked bags.
He opened the refrigerator but there
inside to his surprise were only
left over cooked beans and rice,
with one small tomato!
He thought:
'Maybe this guy can only give what he has?
Maybe his Christianity is real'?
Looking around, he noticed the
humble furniture and the lack
of worthy things to steal.
On the counter top laid a stack of bills.
Some read, "Shut off Notice...you have until".
His hopes soured for the big score,
along with his desire to steal anymore.
He found a pen and paper
and began to be still.
Thinking of what he might write,
he began with:
"I'm sorry to have to say Sir
I came to your house to steal,
but you're as poor as I;
except your soul is saved,
while mine is steeped in crime!
Will you pray for me anyway"?
The would be thief noticed a hand written prayer
as he started on his way. It read:
"We thank you God for what we are about to eat!
Whether it be steak or pintos we're not alarmed!
Our arms and souls are raised to Thee Oh Lord,
in what ever state we find we are"!
The poor man stealing began to weep
and soon was on his knees, crying out:
"Maybe there is magic in these beans?
They have me thinking of Thee"!
He lost track of all time and did not see
that the owner had arrived!
He had a bag of groceries in arm
he had received from a friend.
He noticed the curtains were drawn.
They were always left opened.
Cautiously he sat down the sack,
hearing the cries of despair,
and approached from the back.
He saw the poor man stealing
away in prayer next to a dinette chair.
He heard him say: "Lord I came to steal
this man's goods because my son and I
need food, but now I see all we need
is you!"
The owner took compassion
and thought of his own son;
imprisoned for theft by the State!
He too had been hungry and made a mistake.
He wondered if the thief had a gun,
but he approached him anyway.
The repented man attempted to run,
but his legs were asleep
and all he could do was sway.
"It's alright my friend,
I'm not turning you in.
Would you like to stay for dinner"?
he said to him.
Puzzled, but not alarmed the poor man
replied; "Only if we can pray first?
I need Jesus. Whether I can afford beans or
ordures, in what ever state I am
it's Him I want to serve"!
"You know, it's not always this way,
the Lord provides for those who
trust Him; to those whom are saved!"
The poor man was saved that day
and shared in a fine dinner of steak.
His desire to serve God was genuine
and never again did he go on the take.
He secured a job, until
God called the poor man who once stole
into a successful full time ministry.
Today he's a Pastor serving God and man
in a far reaching food distribution plan.
You might recognize it if I called his name,
because along with wealth, he now has fame!
His son, now also saved,
assists his Dad;
and come what may
their hearts stay glad!
MAGIC PINTOS © Copyright 2002 ~ by Chaplain Scott.
All rights reserved to
www.chaplainscott.com
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