Alms & Legs

The story of a cripple for whom everything goes wrong and yet everything becomes more than right.

Just suppose that you awakened one morning and glanced quickly at your alarm clock. It was a full hour later than you usually awakened. Did you forget to set the alarm last night? Oh no, you are already an hour late for work. Skipping your usual preparations, you splashed some water on your face and hair, pulled a comb through your hair and jumped into your clothes, the same ones that you wore yesterday because you hadn’t laid out fresh ones for work today. Without breakfast, thinking you can grab something at work you jump into the car and take off down the interstate for the seven miles to work. About half way to work, the car’s engine sputters and stops. You coast to the side of the road and call the AAA, thinking that it is a good thing that you renewed your membership. Another half hour later, after you have spent thirty dollars for five gallons of gas, you leave two black marks on the road speeding off to work. When you get to work you slam the car door and push the lock button while running towards the door to the shop. You pull at the door and it won’t open. Why is the main entrance door locked? The lights inside are not burning so you buzz the button for the security guard. About ten minutes later the guard finally opens the door and says, “What are you doing here today? You know that we are closed on Saturdays.” Well, that explains why the alarm was not set and why the gas tank on the car that you were going to fill Saturday morning were not as they should be. So, feeling really foolish and ashamed that you were so rushed that you didn’t figure out things for yourself, you decide to make the best of what was left of a really bad start of a weekend. “I am going to stop at McDonalds and get myself a large coffee and a McDonald’s deluxe breakfast, and maybe a sticky bun too,” you said to yourself. So speeding down the freeway you come to an exit with a big McDonald’s sign and turn off the interstate and enter the entrance to McDonalds. Running up to the counter, cash in hand ready to order, you look for a server. Finally a rather large and grandmother aged woman came to the counter, took one look at your disheveled appearance and said, “You don’t deserve a break today,” and walked away. You think that it can’t get any worse than that, just wait until you read the story of Thomas, the crippled beggar who daily lay outside the Gate Beautiful at the temple in Jerusalem begging. Thomas would gladly have traded places with you. Everything in life seemed to be against him until he met Jesus. But that is getting ahead of the story. Read the story of a man who asked for Alms and got Legs instead. That is the book, “Alms and Legs.”

Rev. Charles R. McCracken Charles has been a pastor for more than forty five years. In 2005 he retired from being a full time pastor to what he thought might be a less active ministry. It did not prove to be so. Among the things that he did find time to do was to write books that have a Bible base. He has authored: “The Problems of a Prophet,” “Tough Steak and Tender Gravy,” Singing in the Barn,” The Shepherd Left Behind,” and “Alms and Legs.” Out of his many years of Bible teaching he has gained insight into Bible events and characters that make these come to life. He tries to be accurate when dealing with Bible events and persons but creates a story line that makes the truths more understandable and fun to read.