Help From God

A short story titled "God helps those who help themselves"

There was a priest and his church was in rural North Carolina. The weather was very bad and it began to flood. The priest began to pray to God with the belief that He would save him. The water was rising and was starting to come into the church and the priest was worried. Along came some people in a boat and told the priest to get in so they can take him to safety. The priest replied "God will take care of me" and the boat left.

The water continued to rise, so the priest moved up to the choir loft and he began praying harder than before. The people in the boat came by again and asked him to get in the boat so they could take him to safety. The priest replied "God will take care of me" and the boat left.

The water continued to rise and the priest moved into steeple. The people in the boat came by for the 3rd time and again asked him to get in the boat so they could take him to safety.

The priest refused, saying "God will take care of me" and the boat left. Eventually the priest perished in the flood and when he got to heaven he said to God, "I prayed and put all my faith and trust in You, why did you not save me?".

God replied "I tried to...I sent you a lifeboat 3 times".