I’m not in the habit of eaves-dropping, but I overheard the end of a conversation between two customers that was too good to pass up as I wandered aimlessly down the aisles of Home Depot looking for a widget…

“I’m seventy-seven years old,” Chuck said to another man.

“You’re not really seventy-seven are you?” I interrupted. I was sincere in asking this because Chuck didn’t look his age. He was a healthy, gray-haired guy with an outgoing personality. But I did have an ulterior motive.

“Yes I am!” he answered jovially.

“Must be all that clean living,” I said with a wink.

“I don’t think I ever did anything I was supposed to and I’m still healthy. I can do more work than my kids. It makes my wife mad though, she’s been sick.”

“Oh yeah? My wife has been sick for nearly seven months.”

“Mine for fifteen years,” he said. “She’s Catholic. I told her that the Pope said all her suffering will get her into Heaven.”

“Tell me Chuck, are you going to Heaven?”

“I’m going to Hell.”

“You don’t have to. You have a choice. You need to have your sin forgiven. Ever sinned?”

He hesitated, “Well..I, uh…”

“Ever broken one of the Ten Commandments? Ever lied?”

“Oh yes, in my younger days…”

“Me too. Hundreds of times.”

“Hell is right here on earth,” Chuck declared.

“It can be, but the Bible says that there is a real Heaven and a real Hell. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins, was buried for three days and rose again, then repent, you can go to Heaven.” Then I used the “Silver Bullet”. Never try this at home. “What do you think, Chuck? You’re seventy-seven. You don’t have that much time left.”

“Oh, I’m okay. I don’t believe.”

“Are you sure? It’s not a coincidence that I overheard that you’re seventy-seven. God wanted me to tell you about Him.”

“I probably have a lot of time left,” Chuck said, not so jovially.