While working on a message the pastor heard a knock at his
office door. "Come
in," he invited.
A contrite-looking man in threadbare clothes came in, pulling a
goat on a
rope, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" asked the man with his hat
in his hand.
Wordlessly, the pastor indicated the chair and the man sat down in
it
gingerly. The goat proceeded to sniff around the office.
With one eye on the animal and one on the man, the pastor folded
his hands on
his desk and leaned forward, curious to hear the fellow's story,
"What can I do
for you?"
"My family is hungry," started the man. "So I stole this goat. But
I feel that
I have sinned. Would you please take it?"
"Certainly not," said the minister.
"Then what should I do with it?" asked the man.
"Give it back to the man you stole it from, of course!" the pastor
explained.
"I offered it to him, but he refused to take it. Now what should I
do?"
"In that case," the minister said, "It would be all right for you
to keep it
and feed your family."
That seemed to settle things as far as the man was concerned.
"Thank you for your help, sir."
With a lighter step, he walked out of the office, leading the goat
on the rope
behind him.
Later that afternoon when the minister returned home, he said to
his wife as
he walked in, "I have got a story to tell you."
"I have something to tell you first," she exclaimed. "Someone has
stolen your
goat!"
