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TheDrunkenMan
Coming to earthis muchlike selectingacollegeandchoosingacourseof study. We are all at various levels of spiritual development, and we have come here in thestations that bestsuit ourspiritual needs.Theminutewe judge others for their faults or shortcom ings, we are displaying a similar shortcoming in ourselves. We don't have the knowledge to judgepeo ple accuratelyhere. As iftoillustratethisprincipleforme,theheavensscrolledback,andIsaw the earth again. This time my vision focused on a street cornerina large city. There, I saw a man lying in a drunken stupor on the sidewalkneara building.Oneofmyguidessaid,"Whatdoyousee?" "Why, a drunken bum lying in his wallow," I said, not understandingwhy I hadtoseethis. My guides became excited. They said, "Now we will show you who he reallyis." His spirit was revealed to me, and I saw a magnif icent man, full of light. Love emanated from his being, and I understood that he was greatly admired in the heavens. This great being came to earth as a teacher to helpafriendthathehadspirituallybondedwith. His friend was a prominent attorney who had an officea fewblocksaway from this corner. Although I he drunk now had no recollection of this agreement withhis friend,his purposewas to be a reminder tohim of the needs of others. I understood that the attorney was naturally

compassionate, but seeing the drunk would spark him to do more for those who neededhis means. Iknew thattheywould seeeach other,and the attorney wouldrecognize thespiritwithinthedrunkthemanwithinthe man and be moved to do much good. They would never know their covenanted roles here, but their missions would be fulfilled nonetheless. The drunk had sacrificed his time on earth for the benefit of another. His develop ment would continue and other things he might need for progressionwouldbegivenhimlater. I recollected that I, too, had met people who had seemedfamiliar tome. The first time I met them I felt an instant closeness, a recognition, but hadn't known why. Now I knew that they had been sent to my path for a reason.Theyhadalwaysbeenspecialtome. My escorts spoke again, bringing me out of my thoughts, and said that because I lacked pure knowl edge I should never judge another. Those who passed by the drunk on the corner could not see the noble spir it within, and so judged by outward appearances. I had been guilty of this kind of judgment, silently judging others based on their wealth or outward abilities. I saw now that I had been unjust, that I had no idea of what their liveswerelike,or,moreimportantly,whattheirspiritswerelike. Thethought also came to me, "For ye have the poor withyou always,and whensoever ye will ye may do them good." But even as this scripture came to me it bothered me. Why do we have the poor with us? Why couldn't the Lord provide everything? Why couldn't he just prompt the attorney to share his money with others? The guides broke into my thoughts again and said, "There are angels thatwalkamongyou,that you areunawareof." I was puzzled. The guides then helped me to understand. We all have needs,notjustthepoor.Andallofushavemadecommitmentsinthespirit world to help each other. But weare slow to keep ourcovenantsmadeso

long ago. So the Lord sends angels to prompt us, to help us be true to these obligations.He won'tforceus,buthecanpromptus.Wedon'tknow who these beings are they appear like anybodyelse buttheyare with usmoreoftenthanweknow. I didn't feel rebuked, but I knew I had clearly misunderstood and underestimated theLord'shelpforushere.Hewillgiveusallthehelphe can without interfering in our personal agency and free will. We must be willing to help each other. We must be willing to see that the poor are as worthy ofour esteemasI he rich. We mustbewillingtoacceptallothers, even I hosedifferent from us.Allare worthy ofourloveandkindness.We have no right to be intolerant or angryor"fedup."Wehavenorighttolook down at others or condemn them in ourhearts.Theonlythingwecantake withus from this lifeis thegood thatwe have donetoothers.Isawthatall of our good deeds and kind words will come backto blessusa hundred foldafterthislife.Ourstrengthwillbefoundinourcharity. My escorts and I were silent a moment. The drunk was gone from my sight. Mysoulwas filled with understandingand love.Oh, thatI couldhelp others as that drunk will help his friend. Oh, that I could be a blessing to others in my life. My soulreverberated with thefinal fact: Our strengthwill befoundinourcharity.