We decided yesterday to go hunting, so last night Dennis took a look at our metal detectors to make sure they would be ready to go this morning.
The morning was glorious...the sun rising over the ocean and the birds all hunting for food. We saw stacks of clam shells left by the Frigate birds after an early breakfast. I really enjoy just walking along and finding the cool shells that are washed up by the tide.
The detector was yielding nothing in the way of treasure so after a couple of hours I walked back down the beach toward where the truck was parked. I saw an elderly man and his wife fishing. He had all of his poles arranged 'just right' and was keeping a watchful eye on them. I stopped to talk about the fish he was catching. At one point one of the
poles nearly bent in half, but it was just a couple of Egrets flying by. One had become entangled, he quickly got out of the line. The man introduced himself as Eddie and his wife as Ruth.
I asked Eddie what he believed would happen to him when he died. He said he would go to sleep and that was it. After talking a little more he told me he didn't believe in God. If there was a God in Heaven why didn't He stop the wars. Why didn't He feed the children starving...on he went. As he was talking to me I remembered a little internet story I read last year. It goes like this...
A man went into a barbershop to get a haircut. He had been trying to get the courage to talk to the barber about God but didn't really know how. Finally he took the plunge. The barber immediately shut him down by saying he didn't believe in God. For if there were a God why didn't He feed the starving children and why were there wars and why did the crops fail?? The customer clammed up with no answer.
After he finished up the man walked out the door. He was still thinking about the barber's questions as he crossed the street to work. In front of him lay a very dirty, smelly homeless man. His hair was matted and his beard tangled and disgusting. The man wheeled around and ran back across the street to the barber. He flew in the door and said, "I don't believe in barbers!"
The barber looked at him like he'd lost his mind and said, "Uh...I just cut your hair!"
"If there were really barbers, why are there homeless men who need haircuts and their beards shaved?" the customer asked.
"He didn't come to me!!" the barber retorted.
"My point exactly!" said the customer.
Eddie laughed and came up with a couple more excuses but not with the same gusto as before. I was able to give him a Good Person tract and he said he would read it. I pray that he does.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The problem with real Treasure is not finding it, but sharing it.
