A few years ago before we moved from Lakeside, we attended a fabulous church. It had gone through a major overhaul in just a few months when we lost our Pastor. I always felt that the people in our church, were a little "uppity". And I'm sure weather you attend church or not, you know what I mean. Our new Pastor came along and he was young and hip and full of life, and humor, and great lessons. One Sunday morning as we were all filing into church I noticed a man sitting on a small planter box off to the side. He was ill kept, in dirty clothes, with missmatched shoes. His hair was long, and honestly looked varmin infested. I had stepped off to the side to wait for my husband who was trying to find a place to park our monster truck. I noticed, person after person walk right by him, dressed in their Sunday best. They acted as if he wasn't even there. A couple times he lifted his eyes to watch them walk by, but mostly he stared at his missmatched shoes. I ached for him. When my husband finally arrived, worship was already in full swing and I told him what I had been watching. We walked over to him together and introduced ourselves. I told him he would be more then welcome inside. He looked at me, almost grief stricken. Then looked so grateful. My husband went over and helped him up. I must say, he smelled terrible. We went inside and sat down towards the back where we thought he'd be more comfortable. We sat right next to him, handed him a program and bible, and then just enjoyed the worship together. I know that he smelled badly, and I was honestly afraid to touch him, but I did. I reached over and rested my hand on his arm as he swayed happily to the music. After worship everyone sat down and waited for the sermon to begin. As the minutes passed, it became apparent that Pastor Steve was late.... again. Just then the man beside us stood up. I was so afraid he was going to leave. But he walked slowly down the aisle. I quickly instructed the closest usher that I thought the man might be wanting prayer. He scurried after him. As the man reached the front of the church he turned and faced the congregation. He grabbed the microphone, and pulled off the tattered wig and coat. It WAS Pastor Steve himself. The congregation gasped, and I nearly fainted. It had been a test he told us. And one that we had failed miserably. He explained that church wasn't really for those of us that already had a relationship with God, or that were already on a path. But more for the down trodden, the lost. He was so dissapointed that so many of us had walked right by him and ignored him, even though we knew his plight. To this day, I try to be kind to everyone I see, or meet. I never know from moment to moment, if I am only being tested, by the Big Man Himself! The kindness in a smile, the tenderness in a caring touch, or the hopefulness of a voice, can never be measured by today's standards, but will last an etenerity in the heart.
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~~Robin~~
~~Dr. C was impressed by me!~~
315/167/168 ..... -106 inches, From a size 32 to a size 10. AT GOAL! Below goal after TT! :P 148 pounds no longer linger on my ass!
October, 24 2005
Sometimes I feel like all I am doing is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic 
And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. -Abraham Lincoln
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