LOST!

I attended your church today. You won't even remember me - I may be 11 or 80 - you won't even know. I was searching for something. I think I almost found it. I think I would have if you hadn't been in such a hurry. You sang a song: "Oh, how I love Jesus." That made my heart beat faster. I felt a light choking sensation in my throat as your pastor described the condition of a lost person. "I am lost! He is talking about me," I said to myself. "From the way he speaks, being saved must be very important." I looked at you sitting in the pews near me. You were listening too. You seemed to think the pastor's words were important. "These people are so concerned," l thought. "They want me saved too!" Soon your minister made his altar appeal and asked you to stand and sing another of the beautiful songs you know so well. I swallowed the lump in my throat and wished I knew the joy with which you sang. Then, your pastor looked at me and earnestly told me how I could have this joy. But his words were drowned in a buzzing beside me. When I glanced around, you were putting on your coats and telling your family to hurry and get their things. Looking in front of me, I saw you frown at your watches as if time were running out. Your faces told me a story! Suddenly, I didn't want to look at any of you any rnore. My eyes burned, my throat hurt, my heart ached, my body trembled. I just couldn't walk towards that altar! You really did not care about me! This salvation your pastor was telling me about wasn't really that important. You only wanted to get away. I wanted to to get away too! So, l walked out among you. Alone- LOST! [Children of God, how do we treat strangers when they visit our churches? Do we reach out to them with the love of God or are we so satisfied and cosy within our own comfort zones that we drive them away from God with our indifferent behaviour?]