Gatekeepers Facilitator




A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. The two were always getting into trouble and their parents could be assured that if any mischief occurred in their town, their two young sons were in some way involved. The parents were at their wits’ end as to what to do about their sons’ behavior. The mother had heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children in the past, so she asked her husband if he thought they should send the boys to speak with this clergyman. The husband said, “We might as well. We need to do something before I really lose my temper!” The clergyman agreed to speak with the boys, but asked to see them individually. The 8 year old went to meet with him first. The clergyman sat the boy down and asked him sternly, “Where is God?” The boy made no response, so the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, “Where is God?” Again the boy made no attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy’s face, “WHERE IS GOD?” At that the boy bolted from the room and ran directly home slamming himself in the closet. His older brother followed him into the closet and said, “What happened?” The younger brother replied, “We are in big trouble this time. God is missing and they think we did it.” God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but He’ll ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation. God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but He’ll ask how many others you clothed. God won’t ask about your social class, but He’ll ask what kind of class you displayed. God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but He’ll ask if they dictated your life. God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but He’ll ask if you compromised your principles to obtain it. God won’t ask how much money you spent on yourself, but He’ll ask how much you gave back to him. God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but He’ll ask if your overtime was for yourself or your family. God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but He’ll ask how you promoted others. God won’t ask what your job title was, but He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability. God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but He’ll ask what you did to help others. God won’t ask how many friends you had, but He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend. God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but He’ll ask what you did to protect the rights of others. God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors. God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but He’ll ask about the content of your character. God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but He’ll ask how many times they didn’t. God won’t ask if His Son loved you, but He’ll ask if you loved His Son.