I was a "Christian" who celebrated Halloween



When my son returned home today from school, he brought with him a new homework packet. Tucked in the middle of the pages was a story about the custom of carving pumpkins. As I read through the story, I noticed right away, that it had been altered. The devil himself was not mentioned at all. Nor was heaven.  

I flashed back to those earlier years when I used to love to celebrate the holiday Halloween.  Then, I thought, "What a perfect opportunity to to share my testimony with my son's new school teacher."  

So, along with a printed more common version of the story (see the story below) I included my personal testimony in my son's home work folder. I can't wait to see how God will use this situation for His glory?

          Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who loved playing tricks on anyone and everyone. One           dark, Halloween night, Jack ran into the Devil himself in a local public house. Jack tricked the             Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil quickly turned himself into            a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack immediately snatched the coin and deposited it into                his pocket, next to a silver cross that he was carrying. Thus, the Devil could not change                        himself back and Jack refused to allow the Devil to go free until the Devil had promised not to            claim Jack's soul for ten years. The Devil agreed, and ten years later Jack again came across                the Devil while out walking on a country road. The Devil tried collecting what he was due, but            Jack thinking quickly, said, "I'll go, but before I do, will you get me an apple from that tree?"  

The Devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped up into the tree to retrieve an apple. As soon as he did, Jack placed crosses all around the trunk of the tree, thus trapping the Devil once again. This time, Jack made the Devil promise that he would not take his soul when he finally died. Seeing no way around his predicament, the Devil grudgingly agreed.  

When Stingy Jack eventually passed away several years later, he went to the Gates of Heaven, but was refused entrance because of his life of drinking and because he had been so tight-fisted and deceitful. So, Jack then went down to Hell to see the Devil and find out whether it were possible to gain entrance into the depths of Hell, but the Devil kept the promise that had been made to Jack years earlier, and would not let him enter. "But where can I go?" asked Jack. "Back to where you came from!" replied the Devil.  

The way back was windy and very dark. Stingy Jack pleaded with the Devil to at least provide him with a light to help find his way. The Devil, as a final gesture, tossed Jack an ember straight from the fires of Hell. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip...one of Jack's favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. From that day forward, Stingy Jack has been doomed to roam the earth without a resting place and with only his lit turnip to light the way in the darkness.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

To read this author's personal testimony please go to: http://dlouyoung.blogspot.com/p/store.html