This will make you think

[finaldstination]

It was a cold winter's 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 gathered for 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 word or song. If I can show somebody that
he's traveling wrong. Then my living shall not be in vain."
THIS IS A SIMPLE TEST...If you love God, send this to ten people
and the person that sent it to you!!!!!!!!

Justice --- When you get what you deserve
Mercy ----- When you don't get what you deserve

[preciousjeni]

(I don't want to take away from the power of the above post, but I would like to offer another moving story)

My pastor's wife told me this true story.

In California, there are large informal church gatherings. People from all walks of life and income-levels come together in worship. One Sunday, as the people were streaming into a church, they noticed a man, apparently homeless, who pretty much matched the description of the pastor's clothing in the above post. He was standing outside and watching the people go in.

The last few people made it into the church before the service. As the pastor was settling himself at the pulpit, the man came in with his tattered clothing, mussed up hair and shoeless feet. He walked straight down the center aisle and sat down in front of the preacher, looking up expectantly. A wave of whispers took over the congregation until an elder - a true elder who was in his 80s or 90s - stood up and made his way to the man. It seems the people were relieved that he would usher the unkempt man from the premises. They watched the elder as he got close enough to put his hand on the man's shoulder. The man looked up at him and the usher smiled. Then the usher took off his own shoes and sat down next to him.

I love this story and only hope that I could act in such a way that Jesus would be pleased, if this type of situation faced me.