a lot can change in 5 years

I was cleaning off a batch of old hard drives and I found this text file on one of them:

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Subject: Thank you for your offer!
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 5:37 AM

Thank you for your offer!

 Experience tells me that you probably receive many complaints as a result of doing online advertising, so I just wanted to send you some cheerful greetings and wish you a pleasant day.

  I am not interested in your offer at this time, but I would like to extend an offer of prayer back to you. Whether you are a Christian or not, if you have any prayer needs then please let me know and I will forward them to my prayer team.

  Prayer is powerful and effective, and we will be happy to pray for any needs you have, just let us know how we can help.

  God truly loves you (John 3:16). He knows your name, He knows your situation, and if you are not a Christian then His fervent desire is to adopt you as His child. He would go to great lengths for the joy of having you as part of His family, even to the point of letting His only true Son be executed in your place so that you can be freed of all guilt and burdens. If you have any questions about God or spiritual matters then please send them to me and I will be happy to try to answer them for you.

  I look forward to hearing from you, and may God abundantly bless you!

In His Love,
Steve 

 

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I appears that 5 years ago I had a heart for prayer and a heart to help other folks.  It seems that I would use this text to reply to the plethora of SPAM I received, using the emails as a blessing instead of a curse.  I don't remember what kind of responses I received, but I do know that I stopped doing this somewhere along the line, whether due to busyness, apathy, or a heart change only God can tell.

A lot can change in 5 years, in both directions.

I was reminded last night that truly successfull people achieve that success by living their lives for something besides themselves.  I remember many happier days and I am reminded that, in those days,  I also lived for people and causes outside myself.  The formula holds true for each of us.  True joy, peace, love, happiness will be found in the cause of others.

Open the door.