The holy man had finally reached his limit. After 65 years of selfless, saintly service to others, he could no longer ignore his own dire condition.
He was penniless. He was lonely. He had cancer.
Because of the holidays, he was especially despondent. The faith he'd faithfully exhibited for six and a half decades finally gave way. Arms reaching skyward, fists shaking toward the heavens, he screamed his grievances to the Lord.
Immediately, a lightning bolt incinerated him on the spot.
Never feeling a thing, the man awakened in the presence of God.
"You were extremely committed to serving others," said God to the man.
"Then why did you make me penniless?" asked the man.
"I share your frustration, my son. But I sent a soul to Earth with the idea for a great invention. An invention so grand it would've raised a billion dollars to support you both lavishly."
"I never met this person," said the man.
"Oh, but you did. He became a shoe salesman instead."
"So what about the loneliness?" lamented the man.
"I sympathize with you my son. But I sent a beautiful soul in your direction with the talent to make you the happiest couple on earth."
"I never met her," said the man.
"Oh, but you did," said God. "She settled for a miserable marriage to the shoe salesman instead."
"OK, what about the sickness, Lord? Why the cancer?"
"I sent a hundred souls in your direction with the ability to discover a cure for the disease. But they all became accountants, or shipping clerks or tree surgeons instead. Not one soul in the bunch was inspired enough to follow the talents I'd placed in them. I share your frustration."
"But why the lightning bolt, Lord? Why'd you yank me home so abruptly after I'd dedicated my entire life to the service of others?"
"Because the talent I placed in you my son, was not service, but inspiration. Had you used that talent, the souls I sent, would've been able to use theirs."
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Mike Johnson made the journey from jobs to freelance writer to entrepreneur to passive income and early retirement. Today he teaches people how to skip right to passive income and early retirement at WorldsBestWriter.com .
Once I learned how to BUY passive income, I stopped chasing the bucks and the bucks started chasing me!