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He Never Came Dressed That Way Again
~~~Author Unknown~~~
I saw him in the church building for the
first time last Wednesday. He was in his mid
70's with silver hair and a neat brown suit.
Many times in the past I had invited him to
come. Several friends had talked to him
about the Lord and had tried to share the
Good News with him.
He was a well-respected, honest man
with so many characteristics a Christian
should have, but he had never put on Christ.
I had asked him a few years ago,
"Have you ever been to a church service in your life?"
We had just finished a pleasant day of visiting and talking.
He hesitated, then with a bitter smile he told me of a
childhood experience some sixty years ago.
He was one of many children in a large impoverished family.
His parents had struggled to provide food,
with little left for housing and clothing.
When he was about ten, some neighbors
invited him to worship with them.
The Bible class had been very exciting.
He had never heard such songs and stories before.
He had never heard anyone read from the Bible before.
After class was over, the teacher took him aside and said,
"Son, please don't come again dressed as you are now.
We want to look our best when we come worship the Lord."
He stood in his ragged, unpatched overalls, looked at his bare,
dirty feet and said, "No ma'am, I won't ever!"
And he never did.
There must have been other factors to have hardened
him so, but this experience formed a significant part of
the bitterness in his heart. I'm sure the Bible teacher meant well,
but what if she had studied and accepted the teachings found
in the second chapter of James? What if she had put her arms
around that dirty, ragged little boy and said,
"Son, I'm so glad you are here, and I hope you will come
every chance you get to hear more about Jesus!"
I pray that I might ever be open to the tenderness
of a child's heart, and that I might never fail to see
beyond the appearance and behavior of a child to
the eternal possibilities within.
Yes, I saw him in the church house for the first time
last Wednesday.
As I looked at that immaculately
dressed old gentleman lying in his casket, I thought
of the little boy of long ago. I could almost hear him saying,
"No ma'am, I won't ever!"
.... and I wept.
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