THE HOMELESS MAN

                        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, 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 fellowshipped 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 a word or song. If I can show somebody that he's traveling
                        wrong. Then my living shall not be in vain."