A Guy Named Bill - Rebecca Manley Pippert, from Chicken Soup for the Christian Family Soul

http://www.livingbreadcrumbs.com/inspiration/parables/a_guy_named_bill.htm His name was Bill. He had wild hair, wore a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He was brilliant, kind of eccentric and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus was a well-dressed, very conservative church. They wanted to develop a ministry to the students, but were not sure how to go about it. One day Bill decided to go there. He walked in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill started down the aisle looking for a seat. The church was completely packed and he couldn’t find a seat. By now, people were really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one said anything. Bill got closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realized there were no seats, he just squatted down right on the carpet. Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, this had never happened in this church before! By now the people were really uptight, and the tension in the air was thick. About this time, the minister realized that from way at the back of the church, a deacon was slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon was in his eighties, and had silver-gray hair, and wore a three-piece suit. He was a godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walked with a cane and, as he started walking toward this boy, everyone was saying to themselves that you couldn’t blame him for what he was going to do. How could you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It took a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church was utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes were focused on him. You couldn’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister couldn’t even preach the sermon until the deacon did what he had to do. And then they saw this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowered himself and sat down next to Bill and worshipped with him so he wouldn’ be alone. Everyone choked up with emotion. When the minister gained control, he said, “What I’m about to preach, you will 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.