[344 words]
The other day as I was waiting for my car to be tuned, a framed message entitled “Remember Me?” caught my attention. “I’m the fellow who goes into a restaurant, sits down and patiently waits while the waitresses do everything but take my order; I’m the fellow who goes into the department store and stands quietly while the sales clerks finish their little chit-chat. I’m the fellow who drives into a gasoline service station and never blows his horn, but waits patiently while the customer at the gas pump reads a book.”
“Yes, you might say I’m a good guy. But do you know who else I am? I’M THE FELLOW WHO DOES NOT COME BACK! It amuses me to see you spend thousands of dollars every year to get me back into your store, when I was there in the first place. All you had to do was to give me a little service and show me a little courtesy.”
My first thought was, “I wish those who serve the public would read that and take it to heart!” But then a second thought hit me. In the church we are supposed to serve mankind; is it possible that we need the same message? And on the spot, I wrote a few more lines: “I’m the fellow who comes into your church building and stands at the back, looking for a place to sit with no one asking to help. I’m the fellow who crawls over three members seated on the end of the pew, who will riot move down. I’m the fellow who makes his way quietly to the exit at the close of the service, passing members enjoying their visits with each other. I’m the fellow who leaves with no word of complaint. I’M THE FELLOW WHO WILL NEVER COME BACK!”
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). Christianity is a practical religion, affecting how we conduct ourselves everywhere, all the time.
via Coahoma Church of Christ
Coahoma, TX