It was a beautiful sun-filled Sunday morning quite like any other. Birds were singing in the trees, and the scents from the most beautiful flowers seemed to fill the air like a symphony of majestic music coming to a crescendo.

It was on just such a morning that Matt rolled into town. Once a high-powered lawyer, respected by all he'd represented - and feared by all he'd come up against, he was now just a shadow of his former self.

Since the death of his wife and his young son in a tragic car accident 3 years earlier, he had somehow lost the will to live. Homeless, destitute and without a friend in the world, he traveled from one town to the next in the hope of making some sense out of the madness he now called his life.

The little town itself looked inviting enough. White picket fences surrounded all the houses his tired legs slowly carried him past; and the sound of children playing filled the air and inadvertently pierced his heart like a burst balloon, as flashbacks of playing football in the park with his own son played over and over again in his mind like an endless circle of pain.

It had been a few days since he washed last, and his clothes were a little more ragged than he would have liked, but he was still thankful for his health. Despite not having had anything to eat or drink for the past 3 days, the dull ache he now felt in the pit of his stomach was nothing compared to the sadness he endured at the memory of losing his beloved family.

If only he'd been wise enough to realize what he had before he lost it all, had spent more time with them, shown them more love than he had. But there was no sense in regret and he knew that. All the same, he remained thankful for the time they did have together and tried to connect with them again by attending church as often as he could.

A smile appeared on his face from out of nowhere at the sight of a church standing right before him, filled, it seemed, with people as eager as himself to connect once again with loved ones, as well as the Divine.

The sight of them all dressed in their Sunday best, while he didn't even have a pair of shoes to his name, almost made him turn back. But he quickly reminded himself that we are all the same in the eyes of the Lord - each and every one of us.

The closer he made his way towards the entrance of the church, the more he noticed people turning to look at him in deep disdain, before frowning, whispering and pointing their fingers at him in condemnation.

But again he just reminded himself of the words of God the Father: "Come to me all that are weary and in need of rest...", for if ever a heart was weary, or a body broken and in need of repair, it stood before them in the guise of Matt. His face was covered in sores from the searing heat of his travels, plus the lack of any real nourishment for the past few days. But to him, none of that mattered.

He wasn't looking for pity either, or asking for help. He just wanted a chance to connect once again with his loved ones, as well as the good Lord himself, hoping He'd find it in His heart to look over his little family in his absence.

He was just about to enter the church when the usher held up his hand and told him rather rudely that his sort wasn't welcome there. "I'm sorry," he said, "but if you're looking for a bowl of soup or a warm place to stay you'd be better off down at the WMCA."

Saddened by his words, and hurt by his actions, Matt smiled back at him and then kept on walking through the doors all the same. Visibly annoyed, the usher forcibly pulled him back by the collar of his shirt. "Look! Don't make me call the police!" he threatened. "You've no right to be here - so beat it now before I get you locked up and put in a cell!"

Not wanting to cause any problems, especially in the house of the Lord, Matt turned his head in sadness and started to head back the way he had just come. As he did so, a quiet sense of relief filled the church and the usher once again wore a smile on his face.

With each step he took Matt heard one wicked whisper after the other. Even the church choir could do little to drown out the sound of their contempt and disapproval.

Matt's tired eyes filled with tears as he reached his weary hands into his pocket and brought out a small ragged Bible he carried around with him before holding it to his lips and kissing it softly. "I'm sorry I've let you down, Lord," he whispered, then ever so carefully put it away again and continued on his way.

His feet dull with pain and his heart heavy with rejection, he gradually made his way over to the center of the town where he had earlier noticed a quiet little park, in the hope of some much needed respite.

Sad that he hadn't made it inside the church with all the others, he closed his eyes and offered up a few prayers of his own all the same, making sure that he gave thanks for the many blessings that he still felt he had in his life.

When he opened his eyes a few minutes later, he was surprised to find himself joined by an older gentleman on the bench beside him who seemed to radiate love from his very being. "Hello," he said smiling, "And what brings you into town?"

"Oh, I'm just passing through." said Matt politely, "I just tried to get into that little church across the way there - but they said people like me don't belong there," before hanging his head in shame.

The older gentlemen just smiled at him serenely and said, "I've been trying to get into that church for more than 20 years myself, but they won't let me in either, Matt. You've got nothing to worry about." Matt turned to him in surprise and asked: "How do you know my name?"

The old man just smiled at him and said, "I know all of my children's names and I hear ALL of their prayers, no matter if they're sitting in a church or enjoying the company of perfect strangers in a park."

"Your wife and child are with me always - safe, sound and blissfully happy. They and I love you dearly. Go with my grace and love until you join them once again."

With those words, the old man got up and disappeared like a gust of wind passing through the park. Pangs of hunger no longer filled Matt's belly; and the sores that once covered his face were completely gone, as were the rags he came into town wearing, replaced instead with the most wonderful clothes he had ever worn.

Elated, he got up and quickly made his way over to the church in the very next town.


(C) Charles Anthony McFaulds