In A Time Of Great Extremity The Young Man ...  PRO

In a time of great extremity the young man prayed to God for deliverance. In return for that deliverance the young man promised God a life-long commitment of service to others. Shortly thereafter, he was confronted with a man who embodied all that he disdained: a Texan with a loud brash manner who would lean close to confide a "great truth." And in drawing near he would bellow and his spittle would fly and cover the glasses of the quiet young man. That night, he whispered to God, "If you will but deliver me from this loud, obnoxious person, I promise to serve you the rest of my life." Instantly the response came in his heart: "Love one another." The relationship continued. The Texan, oblivious to all, seemed to be delighted to have this quiet young man as his friend and confidant. He would give lusty greetings from across a crowded room, and continued showering the young man whenever they were in close proximity. On his part, the young man would remove his glasses, and holding the gaze of the Texan, clean them very deliberately. He thought: "God -- you love him through me. I’m weak -- much too weak." The answer in his heart was swift and sobering: "My commandment is this -- that you love him, just as I have loved you." The young man began to try to put this into practice. He looked for ways to express a love that he did not feel. He listened to the Texan, and even began to be interested in what he was saying. He took him out for coffee and, during the telling of a story by the Texan, laughed loudly himself when the...

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