That Swimming Pool...

A fabulously wealthy Texan had an only daughter who was young, beautiful, and eligible. One day he threw a party and invited hundreds of guests to his immense ranch. After they had wined, dined, and eaten dessert he called them all over to his Olympic-sized swimming pool. There they congregated on one side, while he stood with his daughter on the other side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he addressed the crowd, "I have a challenge for you. You will see that this swimming pool is stocked with live alligators, schools of piranha, and man-eating sharks. The first one who dares to swim across and makes it to the other side will have his choice of either a billion dollars, half of my oil wells, or my daughter's hand in marriage! Any takers?" A pause. "Anyone?"

Suddenly, from the far end of the pool, there was a splash. A young man was in the water. He wrestled and broke free from an alligator, dodged a school of piranha, then punched a great white shark in the snout, causing it to turn away. He clambered out the far side of the pool where he stood, panting, as the crowd on the other side cheered wildly.

The Texan was astonished, but recovered quickly and went over to the young man. "Son," he said, "that's the bravest thing I've ever seen! I honestly didn't expect anyone would take this challenge, let alone win, but I am a man of my word. To whom should I make out the check for the billion dollars?"

"I don't want your money," the young man panted.

"Oh? Then you must want the half of my oil wells. Wise choice, in a few years they'll make you even richer than the billion!"

"I'm not interested in the oil wells, either," the young man said.

"Ah, then you must want my daughter's hand in marriage! Darling, come here!"

"Your daughter's pretty," the intrepid swimmer said. "But that's not what I really want, either."

"Then what do you want?" the Texan asked, puzzled.

"I want the name of the guy who pushed me in!"

 

There are a few parallels in my personal life...but I suspect that in my case the guy who pushed me in was Jesus Christ. I don't regret it.