JOSHUA TIME 551

This is something that we should all read.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever. .......Hebrews 13:8I WON'T EVERI saw him in the church building for the first time onWednesday. He was in his mid-70's, with thinning silver hairand a neat brown suit.Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several otherChristian friends had talked to him about the Lord and hadtried to share the good news with him.He was a well-respected, honest man with so manycharacteristics a Christian should have, but he had never puton Christ, nor entered the doors of the church."Have you ever been to a church service in your life?" I hadasked him a few years ago. We had just finished a pleasant dayof visiting and talking.He hesitated. Then with a bitter smile he told me of hischildhood experience some fifty years ago. He was one of manychildren in a large impoverished family. His parents hadstruggled to provide food, with little left for housing andclothing. When he was about ten, some neighbors invited him toworship with them.The Sunday School class had been very exciting! He had neverheard such songs and stories before!He had never heard anyone read from the Bible! After class wasover, the teacher took him aside and said, "Son, please don'tcome again dressed as you are now. We want to look our bestwhen we come into God's house."He stood in his ragged, unpatched overalls. Then looking at hisdirty bare feet, he answered softly, "No, ma'am, I won't ever.""And I never did," he said, abruptly ending our conversation.There must have been other factors to have hardened him so, butthis experience formed a significant part of the bitterness inhis heart.I'm sure that Sunday School teacher meant well. But did shereally understand the love of Christ? Had she studied andaccepted the teachings found in the second chapter of James?What if she had put her arms around the dirty, ragged littleboy and said, "Son, I am so glad you are here, and I hope youwill come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus."I reflected on the awesome responsibility a teacher or pastoror a parent has to welcome little ones in His name. How farreaching her influence was!I prayed that I might be ever open to the tenderness of achild's heart, and that I might never fail to see beyond theappearance and behavior of a child to the eternal possibilitieswithin.Yes, I saw him in the church house for the first time onWednesday. As I looked at that immaculately dressed oldgentleman lying in his casket, I thought of the little boy oflong ago. I could almost hear him say, "No, ma'am, I won'tever."And I wept.^j^ ^j^^j^ If God brings you to it, ^j^^j^ He will bring you through it ^j^^j^ ^j^