Incredible Poem

I wish I could take credit for writing this. I also wish I knew who did, but alas, it is just one of those anonymous email forwards (Pretty sure that the car sitting in the garage part at the end is a quote attributed to Garrison Keillor. Who knows, maybe he wrote this whole thing).

Whoever is responsible for it, it is one of the most convicting , humbling, perspective giving, and funny bits of gospel that I've ever read. I hope it makes you think, pause, consider your feelings and words, but most of all thank the Lord for His incredible love, grace, and mercy.

BEST POEM IN THE WORLD

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT!! (Mat 7:1)

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!
Now it's your turn... Share this poem.

Unless you enjoy dragging all those rocks around everywhere...

John 8:6-11, 15-16

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. ⁷ They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” ⁸ Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

⁹ When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. ¹⁰ Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

¹¹ “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

...You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. ¹⁶ And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.

Luke 6:36-38

³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

³⁷"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

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I don't know- I figure God is God and I am not. It would be pretty arrogant for me to try to do His job for Him. Thank God, we don't have to carry the weight of either saving, fixing or judging the world. I'm not good at throwing rocks and I for one get tired carrying all those rocks around. I'd rather pave roads with them.

It seems to me that anger and indignation do more to erode the one who bears it than to bring about contrition or repentance in the ones it is aimed at. I may be in error, (God forgive me and correct me when I am), but if I am going to err, I would always rather err on the side of mercy and compassion than on the side of judgment, control, or retribution. Law and Gospel should always be in balance, but when the balance tips, I would rather it tip toward the Gospel than toward the Law.

Feel free to disagree with me, most people do.