During a severe flood in a Midwestern community, the water had covered the streets several feet deep. A man was sitting on his porch, where the water was up to that level. Two men came by in a rowboat, pulled over to his porch and said, "Hop in, Brother, we'll take you to safety." He replied, "Not me, thanks, the Lord will help me."

The water continued to rise to the level of his porch roof, and he was perched up there. Two men came by in a motorboat. They pulled over to his porch roof and said, "Hop in. Brother, we'll take you to safety." He replied, "Not me, thank you. The Lord will help me."

The water rose to the roof of his house, and he was sitting up there when a helicopter came by. The pilot hovered above and let down a rope ladder. "Climb in, Brother, and we'll take you to safety." He answered, "Not me, thank you. The Lord will help me." The water continued to rise and the man drowned.

When he got to heaven, he spoke to the Lord. (How Bishops know what goes on up there I don't know.) The man said, "I've always gone to church, read my Bible, given my tithe, and said my prayers. There I was in great need of your help. Where were you when I needed you?" The Lord replied, "Where was I? I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What more do you want?"

The man had failed to realize that when God touches people he takes the nearest willing hand (or rowboat or helicopter) and uses that.