HE HELPED ME

I was there after church,
just chatting with a friend,
When at the back of the church,
a stranger came walking in.
I turned around to see him standing there,
in clothes, tatered and torn.
His shoes were the same condition,
more than over worn.
His beard and hair unkept,
and his eyes were hollow.
But he had a smile to return to mine.
And I will remember the words that would follow.
This man reached out to shake my hand,
He said his name was Bill.
He came to pray for his oldest daughter,
You see she had taken ill.
No, he hadn't been to church in years,
His daughters, he wasn't sure.
They had become estranged to him,
But he felt the need to pray, for her.
She was just a youngster, when he left the wife and kids,
The devil had his heart back then you see.
It took a serious illness to bring him back to church,
He wondered, "Will He still remember me?"
Will He hear my prayer?
Will he forgive my sins?
Could I help introduce him,
to the Lord again?
Now, I didn't know this man,
Who stood now at my side.
He clasped his hand across his face,
As he broke down and cried.
I felt the pain and understood
how life can break apart.
And deep inside I knew what to do,
down in my own heart.
I reached out and hugged this man,
and felt no shame at all.
It made my heart grow light,
I felt ten feet tall.
Then I knelt down on my knees and prayed
to the Lord with him.
I said, Dear Lord we come to you,
I could've swore He said,"COME IN"
"Oh, ask and you shall receive,
call My name, I will appear,
You will always be My children,
Just say my name, I will always be here."
I knew at that moment
the hand of God touched me.
It wasn't because I helped this man,
It was because he helped me.

So reach your hand out to a stranger,
an act of kindness so simple and sweet.
You never know who you might be entertaining,
angels could be anyone you meet.
Now this man wasn't an angel,
but a messenger from God to me.
Telling me to open my eyes,
There's more of the world to see.
Offer yourself to others,
it's through them we each will grow.
Remember they could be angels,
But that's for the Lord to know.

Leslie Sue Ashley
©2000