The Speeding Ticket

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before
slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone.

Fourth time in as many months. How could a 
guy get caught so often?

When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, 
Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the
cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.
Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with
a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car,
the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from Church? Jack
sunk farther into his trench coat. This was
worse than the coming ticket. A Christian cop
catching a guy from his own church. A guy who 
happened to be a little eager to get home after a
long day at the office. A guy he was about to
play golf with tomorrow.

Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he 
saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in
uniform. "Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."

"Hello, Jack." No smile.

"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to 
see my wife and kids."

"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain.

Good. "I've seen some long days at the office 
lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit - just
this once." Jack toed at a pebble on the
pavement.

"Diane said something about roast beef and 
potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?"

"I know what you mean. I also know that you 
have a reputation in our precinct."

Ouch.

This was not going in the right direction. 
Time to change tactics. "What'd you clock me at?"

"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car 
please?"

"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as 
soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65."

The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.

"Please, Jack, in the car."

Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the 
still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at
the dash board. He was in no rush to open the
window.

The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the
pad. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?

Whatever the reason, it would be a month of
Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again.

A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. 
There was Bob, a folded paper in hand. Jack
rolled down the window a mere two inches, just
enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the 
sneer out of his voice. Bob returned to his
police car without a word. Jack watched his
retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet
of paper. How much was this one going to cost?
Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of
joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter.
She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it
-- a speeding driver. A fine and three months
in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his
daughters. All three of them.

I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait
until Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A
thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A
thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but
I need to do it again. Even now.

Pray for me. And be careful. My son is all I 
have left. "Bob"

Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull
away and head down the road. Jack watched until
it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he,
too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying 
for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and
kids when he arrived.

Life is precious. Handle with care.

This is an important message, please pass it 
along to your friends.

Drive safely and carefully. Remember, cars 
are not the only thing recalled by their maker.

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God 
and then wonder why the world's falling apart.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, 
but question what the Bible says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven 
provided they do not have to believe, think, say,
or do anything the Bible says. Or is it scary?

Funny how someone can say "I believe in God" 
but still follow Satan(who, by the way, also
"believes" in God).

Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' 
through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but
when you start sending messages regarding the
Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene 
pass freely through cyberspace, but the public 
discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school
and workplace.

FUNNY, ISN'T IT?

Funny how someone can be so fired up for 
Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian
the rest of the week.

Are you laughing?


Funny how when you go to forward this message, 
you will not send it to many on your address list
because you're not sure what they believe, or
what they will think of you for sending it to
them.

Funny how I can be more worried about what 
other people think of me than what God thinks of
me.

The music you are listening to was Composed, Arranged and Played by Yuko Ohigashi and is copyrighted. Please visit her web site for more beautiful music. The song is called "True Love."