2,000 years ago Sid had his famous Jerusalem superstore, The Gold Emporium.
It was a place where the rich and the poor, the locals and the caravans came to do business.
For Sid bought, sold and traded gold, and his signs were everywhere, beckoning people to come!
Many years earlier, Sid had begun by saving his money to invest in his business and eking out profits, which he would put in a small vault.
But each year, as Sid became more successful, he put those profits in larger and larger vaults, until his current vault was the largest in Jerusalem.
And each day, he would proclaim, "I'm richer than I have ever been, but I will be richer tomorrow."
Then one day, a profound event occurred, one that changed everything!
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A guardian angel came to him and said, "Sid, your time has come. You will now pass from this world."
"But I can't," he replied. "Look at all this gold I have. I've got to stay here and accumulate even more!"
"That's the point Sid," she answered. "Your life has been spent accumulating gold."
"You never married, never had children, never donated to the poor or helped a friend. In fact you have no friends, and you have had nothing kind to say to or do for anyone."
"Don't you realize, aside from business deals, no-one cares if you live or die."
"Look at yourself," she continued. "Your robes are in tatters, your sandals are shot, and your oxen are old and tired and uncared for. And your house is falling down."
"You were given this precious gift of life and what did you do with it -- you wasted it! You are the richest man in Jerusalem in gold and the poorest in the riches that matter."
And after you are dead, all your gold will be turned over to the Roman authorities because you have no heirs."
Sid sat silent as he absorbed her shocking words. Then he began to weep as he realized the truth in those words.
After a few minutes, he wiped away his tears and said, "Dear angel, can I have just one more week?"
"Why," she asked. "To accumulate more gold?" "No," he answered. "To give it away."
There was a moment of silence, and then she replied, "One more week it shall be." And as suddenly as she had appeared, she was gone.
In the week that followed, Sid busily donated his vast amount of gold, giving it to those most in need and to every charity organization in the city.
He also set up an account to care for his aged oxen and for the care of other mistreated or homeless animals.
It was the busiest week of his life, and the happiest.
And one week to the minute later when the guardian angel reappeared she said, "I've been watching you and I'm amazed at the sudden transformation in you."
"For the first time in your life, you truly lived, and your generosity has meant much to everyone whose life you touched."
"Now, as you leave this world, it will celebrate you and your generosity."
"Thank you dear angel for the second chance at life," he replied. "One that has brought me joy beyond anything I ever imagined."
With Love To All - Dick
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