How Long?

 

  The prisoner was led into his cell. Before the guard closed the door, the prisoner asked, “How long will I have to stay here?”

  The guard replied, “It’s hard to say. It’s really up to you. “

  The man looked confused as the door to freedom shut, and the key turned. He looked around his cell. A bed in the corner, a book on a stand, and an entertainment counsel on the opposite wall. The man smiled. “I can handle this,” he thought to himself. 

  He sat in the chair hour after hour, entirely mesmerized by the unlimited number of shows, games, and social media content. The hours turned into days, and the days into weeks. Yet, he was happy to still be connected to the world.

  Every day the guard walked by in disbelief. Finally, as the guard walked to the end of the long hall, his coworker looked at him. “How long do you think it will take him to figure it out?”

  The guard shook his head and said, “It’s hard to say. The book is collecting dust.”

  The book in the corner was the key to the cell door. On the front of the book were two words-Holy Bible. Inside the book were the words of Truth. The Truth would set the man free. But, unfortunately, the man was too busy to notice he was imprisoning himself. 

-Susan