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The following is an excerpt from the Stories section of A Treasury of Gary W. Long's Writings. The story is entitled, "Trash Bag Instructions."

No one ever wants to take the trash out. Even with the advent of plastic bags, it still seems the duty of displeasure. . . . I don’t think it was pride as much as it was equality that locked my jaw on the bag of trash one November. Since I was pastor of a small Baptist church, I usually arrived at the church building first. That particular Sunday morning my wife and I arrived to find someone had left a black plastic trash bag right beside our mail box by the driveway. . . . After church I went out to see if any of the good brethren had so responsibly done their Christian duty. Just as I suspected, they had all left for home and there sat the black trash bag, needing attention. Now my depraved heart set in motion the declaration of a “silent war” with the brethren. I would “wait” them out! . . . We drove to church for prayer meeting on Wednesday evening and there, unmolested, was the ominous trash bag. After the service and my short message on “Be ye kind one to another,” I slipped out to validate my suspicion. Guess what? There like the Rock of Gibraltar was the black trash bag! . . . Monday afternoon I went by the church building as I planned, checked the mail, opened the car trunk and headed for the source of agitation…the black thorn bag. I had finally gained partial victory over my attitude under the wise tutorship of my wife. . . . I looked down at the bag now starting to fade in the two weeks’ sunlight, reached down to pick it up and, wow! It was too heavy! If I picked it up by the neck, the bottom would fall out and I would have a genuine mess. That would be agitating! I tugged once more and curiosity got the best of me. Would someone put bricks in as a joke, or what? I untwisted the tie around the neck and carefully peeked in…..No, it can’t be! - In one instant all of my fortnight agitation vanished, for I opened the bag to a pastor’s treasure! Books! But not just any books…..good books! . . . My joy melted into shame. How could the Lord be so kind, when I had been such a fool? . . . Well that old black plastic trash bag taught me a good lesson. . . . Oh, how kind and patient our Lord is. Not only did I learn my lesson, but I went to church thereafter in joyful anticipation of finding another trash bag in the same spot! But alas, it has not been so.