Man on the Corner

In my hometown of Cumberland, MD....a long time ago, there was a man who stood on the corner outside Murphys Dept Store Downtown. He always stood in the same place. As people walked by, he would hand them a leaflet about God and say "God Bless You." People were not always nice to that old man. As a teenager I watched a bunch of boys knock the pamplets out of his hands. People make rude comments to him. People who refused his message. And me, who respected what he did, even if I did not bother to hear his message. How many others like me walked by and thought little of the words he said, or the message he was giving us?

No matter what he faced day and day out, he was there. He always came back. What faith he must of had. As an adult, I wonder if I too can show that kind of faith. The faith that I have a mission from God. His message to share. Will I ever be as faithful as that man?

He has surely passed away by now. In fact, every time i have been back in Cumberland over the last 15 years...I am always struck by what is missing. And when I look at my hometown, now through the eyes of someone who has lived much brighter and bigger places...What is missing is from those brighter places, is what I miss the most from my hometown. Things like that man on a street corner sharing the word of God.

I remember the first time I walked by there when I was "home" visiting my grandmother. And a women, just as old as the old man had been was passing out the pamphlets. I realized I missed him being there. Both are probably gone by now, but thier message lives on because they changed my life. I learned more about obediance of faith from that man on the street corner, by his example....well, then anything I could read.

By now, he is surely in God's arms. I am sure when he came home, God welcomed him. Saying, "Welcome Home my good and faithful servent." Will I get the same welcome? Am I a good and faithful servent to my Lord? Am I as obediant as that man? Do others look at my life and by my example know God? Do they see me face the same trials and still come back for more? I hope so.

God bless all the old man on the corners in this world. May each of them leave a small piece of God's message in us.