Moving story: The Homeless Man

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 and too small for his feet.  They had holes all over them and his toes stuck out.

 

I assumed this man was homeless and asleep.  So I walked on by through the doors of the church.  During the few minutes we stood around showing our fellowship, someone brought up the subject of 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 the Word.  Then the door 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 and began, "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."