Expectations

Her name is Billie. She has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally her wardrobe for the entire four years of college. She is brilliant, kind of esoteric and very, very bright. She became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Billie decides to go there.

She walks in with no shoes, jeans, her T-shirt, and wild hair.

The service has already started and so Billie starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now people are looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Billie gets closer and closerand closer to the pulpit and, when he realizes there are no seats, she just squats down to sit, right on the carpet.

Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, this had never happened in this church before!

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Billie. This deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A Godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this girl; everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do.

“How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?” they all think.

It takes a long time for the man to reach the girl. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Billie, to worship with her so she won’t be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the minister gains control, he says,

“What I’m about to preach, you might never remember.

What you have just seen, you will never forget. Be careful how you live.

You may be the only Bible some people will ever read.”

Anonymous