Posted by martha bootle on January 26, 2000 at 12:12:00:
In Reply to: something to pass on posted by feel on January 24, 2000 at 09:42:34:
: This will certainly make you stop and think. You never know
: what a kind word, a phone call, or an impromptu visit will do for
: someone else.
: It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the
: church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car
: that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they
: walked to the church. As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against
: the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was
: asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a
: hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face.
: He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet with holes all
: over them, his toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep,
: so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all had fellowship for
: a few minutes, and someone brought up the man laying outside. People
: snickered and gossiped but no one bothered
: to ask him to come in, including me. A few moments later church began. We
: all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the
: Word, when the doors to the church opened. In came the homeless man
: walking down the aisle with his head down. People gasped and whispered
: and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit he
: took off his hat and coat. My heart sank. There stood our preacher...he was
: the "homeless man." No one said a word. The preacher took his Bible and
: laid it on the stand. "Folks, I don't think I have to tell you
: what I am preaching about today." Then he started singing the words
: to this song. "If I can help somebody as I pass along. If I can
: cheer somebody with a word or song. If I can show somebody that he's
: traveling wrong. Then my living shall not be in vain."
: ....
: Justice - When you get what you deserve
: Mercy - When you don't get what you deserve
: Grace - When you get what you don't deserve
That's cool. My youth pastor once did the same thing! We were on the way to a youth conference with several other churches and we stopped at a rest stop. He saw a guy there at the rest stop, really dirty and stuff and offered him a ride as far as the conference. We were all panicked! But then when we got the conference no one would talk to the guy even though he kept asking us questions. Well it turned out that the hitchhiker was our speaker!!!!