A devout man was caught in a flood one day, and he climbed onto the roof of his house and as the water started lapping up over the roof he prayed “Lord, deliver me from this flood”.
The water continued to rise and a policeman in a rowing boat passed: “Can I help you Mister?” “No thanks, the Lord will deliver me!”
A little while later, the water is even higher, and the man is up to his waist, even standing on his roof. A lifeboat cruises past, and the captain shouts out “Can I help you, Mister?” “No Thanks” was his reply “The Lord will deliver me – I’ve prayed for it”
After another few minutes, the water has risen so much that only the man's head is peeping out from above the water and a helicopter flies over. The pilot leans out and calls “Can I help you Mister?” “No thanks, the Lord will deliver me!”
At which point, the water rises over the man's head and he drowns.
When the man arrives at the gates of heaven and faces St Peter he is furious: “I’ve been a most serious and devout man all my life, devoted to prayer and good works – why didn’t God answer my prayers. “Oh,” says Peter “That ‘s strange: we sent two boats and a helicopter after you…”