Stooper

Jesus Leonardo has spent the last ten years hanging around off-track betting parlors, and looking for winning slips accidentally thrown out. He's made $45,000 a year. Do you make $45,000 a year?  I sure don't. Leonardo use to place his own bets. In 1999, he thought he had a loser, so he tossed the slip. After an inquiry of the race, the results changed and he realized he had given up a $900 winner. Searching the trash, he never found his ticket. He did find two others worth $2000. Ever since then he's been a "stooper" (a person at a racetrack who searches for winning tickets that have been carelessly discarded by others.) I guess you could say Jesus Leonardo saw what others didn’t, and found what others missed. Ok, I’m not trying to get you to dig through the trash. Wait a minute; that is exactly what I want you to do. Let me explain; I’m afraid we give up to quickly on people. Others have thrown them aside saying they will never amount to anything, you’re wasting your time. What if Jesus Christ; (wanted you to know which Jesus I was referring to) thought like that? I’ll give you one example;

Mark 5:1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

Mark 5:2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

Mark 5:3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Mark 5:4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

Mark 5:5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

No one had time for this man, he was useless. Why he didn’t care about his family or friends! They made rules for him to keep and he never would keep them. He lived with the wrong kind of people and he did wild and crazy things to his body. The last time anyone heard anything about him he was living in a grave yard somewhere; he’s useless he’ll never change. I met a man one night and I thought the same thing, he’ll never change. I can see why his wife left him, his life is ruined, he’s hopeless. Years later, I saw how wrong I was, we are good friends and his family is put back together.  This man loves the Lord and is serving him today faithfully. Did someone think and feel that way about you?  Get out and don’t ever come back. We’re done, you’ll never change. I sure am glad Jesus Christ doesn’t see us that way. He sees what others don’t and goes after what others missed. There was a lady that came to our program. She told me up front that she didn’t want to be there she was made to come and that’s the only reason she was there. I smiled and I talked to her and every Friday night the other leaders did the same. We always made a point to say something nice to her with words of encouragement. It wasn’t long before she started staying after the meeting and eating with us, a smile came on her face and when she did leave, months later she was a different woman and stays in contact to this day. Jesus Christ can change that hard heart. So today who will the Lord send your way that may need a kind word, a pat on the back, a word of encouragement, don’t miss the opportunity.

Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.