During World War II a group of soldiers had been on a long patrol, they arrived in a small town called "Casino."
The next day being Sunday, some of the soldiers went to church. After the priest had read his prayers, the text was taken up. The solders who had prayer books took them up, but one soldier, a young private, produced a deck of cards, and he spread them out in front of him. The sergeant in charge saw the cards and said: "Soldier, put away those cards."

After the service the soldier was put under arrest and brought before the commanding officer (C. O.). The C. O. said: "Sergeant, why have you brought this man here?"
"For playing cards in church, sir."

The officer looked at the soldier and said: "I hope you have an explanation, if you haven't you'll be in trouble. What have you got to say?"

And the soldier said: "I've no Bible. I've no prayer book, but I have these cards. You see, sir, when I look at the Ace it reminds me that there is only one God. And when I see the Deuce it reminds me that the Bible's divided into two parts, the Old and the New Testaments, and when I see the Three, I think of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then I see the Four, I think of the four disciples who preached the Gospels, who were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Five reminds me of the five wise virgins, who trimmed their lamps, five were wise and were saved, five were foolish and shut out. When I see the Six, it reminds me that in six days God made Heaven and Earth and the Seven brings to mind that on the seventh day he rested. Then I see the Eight, I think of the righteous persons God saved when he destroyed the reath. There were Noah, his wife, their three sons and three wives, and when I see the Nine I think of the lepers, Our Savior cleansed, and nine out of ten didn't ever thank him. And I see the Ten, I think of the Ten Commandments which God handed to Moses on the tablets of stone. The King reminds me once again there is but one King in Heaven, God Almighty. The Queen, I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary who is Queen of Heaven, and the Jack or Knave who is the devil. When I count the number of spots on the cards, I find 365, the number of days in a year and the number of cards of the deck, which is 52, the number of weeks in a year. There are four suits, the number of weeks in a month, and there are twelve color cards, the number of months in a year.
So you see, sir, my deck of cards has served me as a Bible, an almanac and a prayer book."

The charge against the soldier was dismissed.

Have a Blessed day,

Brandon
forwarded by Mai Trang, 12 yr. old