Man With No Shirt

Vic is my husband and we attended a downtown, elite, upper class church for years. Although we never fit into that category, we loved the church. My husband served as an Usher. He was much loved by everyone because he is such a "people" person. In addition to being an Usher and serving in many leadership roles throughout the years, he was also the Boy Scout Scoutmaster.

One Sunday morning, a downtown homeless man, entered our church after the service had started. He ambled up the center aisle and sat down in a pew next to an elderly woman and amongst many of the matriarchs of our church. This man was dirty and didn't have a shirt on. My husband was sitting next to me and watched the whole thing. Vic quietly got up and I thought he was going to go ask the man to leave. Instead, my husband walked out the back doors. I was shocked.

My husband's father had just recently died and I thought he was sad and left to compose himself. I kept pondering whether I should go check on him. After a few minutes, my husband entered the back of the church and started his way down the center aisle. The priest had already started his sermon, but my husband just kept walking down that aisle as the whole church watched. When he got to the man with no shirt, Vic stopped and put his hand gently on the man's shoulder, the man looked up into Vic's eyes, and then Vic handed him something.

Vic quietly started walking back down the aisle and returned to the seat next to me. My eyes went back to the man. He quietly raised his arms and put on the Boy Scout T-shirt that Vic had handed him.

As tears streamed down my face, I saw the sermon unfold before my eyes. No words were ever spoken more eloquently than the humble gift of a simple T-shirt and the regained dignity that my husband gave that man that day. I know I'll never forget that day.

Matthew 25:40 (King James Version) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Praying Girl