Shoes in church
I showered and shaved, I adjusted my tie.
I got there and sat in a pew just in time.
Bowing my head in prayer, as I closed my eyes,
I saw the shoe of the man next to me
Touching my own -
I sighed.
With plenty of room on either side,
I thought, "Why must our soles touch?"
It bothered me, his shoe touching mine,
But it didn't bother him much.
A prayer began: "Our Father" - I thought,
This man with the shoes has no pride.
They're dusty, worn, and scratched.
Even worse, there are holes on the side!
"Thank You for blessings," the prayer went on.
The shoe man said a quiet "Amen."
I tried to focus on the prayer
But my thoughts were on his shoes again.
Aren't we supposed to look our best
When walking through that door?
Well, this certainly isn't it, I thought,
Glancing toward the floor.
Then the prayer was ended
And the songs of praise began.
The shoe man was certainly loud
Sounding proud as he sang.
His voice lifted the rafters
His hands were raised high.
The Lord could surely hear
The shoe man's voice from the sky.
It was time for the offering
And what I threw in was steep.
I watched as the shoe man
Reached into his pockets so deep.
I saw what was pulled out
What the shoe man put in.
Then I heard a soft clink,
As when silver hits tin.
The sermon really bored me to tears -
And that's no lie.
It was the same for the shoe man
For tears fell from his eyes.
At the end of the service
As is the custom here.
We must greet new visitors
And show them all good cheer.
But I felt moved somehow
And wanted to meet the shoe man.
So after the closing prayer
I reached over and shook his hand.
He was old and his skin was dark
And his hair was truly a mess.
But I thanked him for coming,
For being our guest.
He said, "My name's Charlie
I'm glad to meet you, my friend."
There were tears in his eyes
But he had a large, wide grin.
"Let me explain," he said
Wiping tears from his eyes.
"I've been coming here for months
And you're the first to say 'Hi'.
I know that my appearance
Is not like all the rest.
But I really do try to always look my best.
I always clean and polish my shoes
Before my very long walk,
But by the time I get here
They're dirty and dusty, like chalk."
My heart filled with pain
And I swallowed to hide my tears,
As he continued to apologize
For daring to sit so near.
He said, "When I get here
I know I must look a sight,
But I thought if I could touch you
Then maybe our souls might unite."
I was silent for a moment
Knowing whatever was said
Would pale in comparison
I spoke from my heart, not my head.
"Oh, you've touched me," I said,
"And taught me, in part;
That the best of any man
Is what is found in his heart."
The rest, I thought,
This shoe man will never know,
Like just how thankful I really am
That his dirty old shoe touched my soul ↓
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| Name: Irene | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 8:13 AM |
| I got this sent to me by my friend Kim, iosant it just soooo touching xx ↑ |
| Name: .atomic snowflake | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 8:15 AM |
| If somebody comes anywhere near me I fist their face in then run away as fast as I can! ↑ |
| Name: Irene | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 8:16 AM |
| are you talking about shoe man or your kids coming in the toilet with you lol ↑ |
| Name: .atomic snowflake | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 9:04 AM |
| Everybody is fair game at the moment. I'm fkn sick 'n' tired and in a very bad mood :-( ↑ |
| Name: winnmom | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 1:15 PM |
This is so beautiful......
It reminds me of this man......an old man......at my church.....he is not a member.....he is very dirty, and sits in the very back.........I see him all over town and we now chat when ever we meet up any where........I am embarassed to say, that at first I was so afraid to shake his hand because how he looks and how dirty and smelly he is........But he comes to worship just like everyone else.......his love for the Lord shows.........He always takes the time to chat with my kids when ever we see him out and about around town........I am ashamed of what I thought at first......and this story reminds me of that.
Thank the Lord, for opening our minds........opening our hearts.......and giving us anew each and every day.........Thank the Lord that he does not look at us as we may look at others at times......and Thank the LordFor forgiving us for these thoughts about HIS CHILDREN! ↑ |
| Name: Irene | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:14 PM |
awww thats special winn,,
how have you been, i have missed chatting with you,
how's everything, did you get my message last week in IM? ↑ |
| Name: momo | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:19 PM |
| oh it made me cry a bit..it was a beautiful message ↑ |
| Name: .atomic snowflake | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:22 PM |
Hmmm, I dunno.......I'm sorry, but I didn't get it......If some guy touched me with his damn shoe there is NO WAY I'd remain in the same building!
I used to get thrown out of church whenever I took my eldest son.....so I thought "fk 'em" and didn't go back. ↑ |
| Name: .atomic snowflake | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:27 PM |
It was full of evil, old psycho grannies who'd glare at you if you so much as dared to blow your nose.
Christianity is soooooo intolerant of anybody who dares to shake their little Sunday morning get togethers in their cosy little churches............"more tea vicar"?
I was like "Excuse me, you're old, you're gonna be dead soon, so why evict my little son just because he's playin' with his toy cars in the choir vestry and refuses to be quiet"........fkn old fossils.......... ↑ |
| Name: Irene | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:43 PM |
not everywhere AS
you need to see our church, its like you are at home, its gorgeous x ↑ |
| Name: .atomic snowflake | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:49 PM |
*LOL*
bad memories that's all.......
The worst thing they did was carpet the whole church out! It's a 17th Century building with good acoustics and they fkn carpeted the whole floor! My husband and I were in the choir and it killed the whole effect that the singing had. I was so angry at them for doin' that!
It was just to keep the damn grannies warm in the Winter!
From a musicians point of view it was pure suicide! I refused to go to the choir practises after that happened. You couldn't get your note or anythin'.......waste of time.........fkn grannies and their fkn carpet.........they wanted to make the place into their own little cosy lounge or somethin'.....it was a historical building for cryin' out loud......something that demanded respect and honour!.......not a damned RED CARPET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ↑ |
| Name: .atomic snowflake | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:58 PM |
http://www.maryandcuthbert.org.uk/images/C
hurch-exterior-col-thumbnail.jpg
Here's
a pic of the poor church. ↑ |
| Name: .atomic snowflake | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 6:58 PM |
| They're a bunch of philistines.......carpet..........Hmmm ↑ |
| Name: mommy_of_too | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 7:58 PM |
this was very touching :)
It reminded me, too, of a memory at my church. Their was this old lady in a wheel chair kind of raggly looking. She just wheeled up next to the pew and listened. The whole time i could see the gears moving in her head. After a period of time she was out of the wheel chair and using a cane. She looked like the hunchback. Then just last sunday i saw her stand up proudly and sing with great joy. I think that this taught me to realize that everyone is Gods child no matter what the apperence. ↑ |
| Name: mommy_of_too | Date: Aug 14th, 2007 8:06 PM |
| Then their was a mission trip to a town that was hit by a hurricane. Our church put up sheet rock and helped rebuild houses. Their was this man that used to be a construction worked by was hit by a ladder and is now permently hanicaped and cannot work. They almost look homeless. But somehow he touched a place in our hearts. We went back a few months later to help again with mikes home. Still he was unable to move in. Our 11th grade ss class wrote a letter to a furniture company and they donated all new furniture. Then they wrote a letter to home depot and they supplied nessesary appliences. Finally they were ready to move in. They came to our church and talked to our congregation. Her was wearing an old raggy shirt and a pair of shorts. He didnt care that he didn't have money or good clothes, he was their to glorify God. ↑ |
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