I saw a broken man the other day
I looked right at him ..... Yes, I did
I almost just turned, and walked away
If I had .... God forbid

I would have missed a message
that is now treasured by me
This was no ordinary man
He was a man of God, you see

Many years where worn
upon his face
There was a story in every line
But, he saw himself as not broken
His life was really, just fine

It was my own assumption
that his life was all amiss
For it was his outward appearance
that turned my thinking, like this

Had I observed a little closer
past the tattered look
I would have seen he was reading a
Special Book



In his hands he held a Bible
That should have been one of my clues
The LORD was not looking
at the clothes the man wore
It is the heart, He views

So I sat by the man, and I asked him,
"How are you doing today?"
He looked at me and smiled
Then the man began to say .......

"Today, I'm doing wonderful
But all my yesterdays were not so good....
I thought my life was over
Until one day a stranger approached me
then I understood....

Because this stranger opened my eyes
and pointed out that the life I had
Was not at all happy
Actually, I was quite sad

Life was always a battle
My goals were misplaced
The worldly goods I gained
were really just a waste



They didn't make me happy
They didn't make me whole
I didn't need to work for 'things'
I needed to work on my soul

I needed to work on kindness
and understanding too
Patience is a virtue
And a heart that's pure and true"

He went on, to say,
"I see the look on your face
and you view me as a broken man
Please, do not feel this way
I want you to understand

I had a life, wonderful and perfect...
as OTHER people would view
But, something was still missing
If only they knew

How I appeared to others
is not what's important, you see
But, how do I appear to God
as He looks down at me......."



Still sitting by this man, I was listening .....
I knew in my heart
what he had said, was right
No one is what they seem
When we view them by sight

Toiling for riches
to adorn what's outside
Only adds glitter
to our foolish pride

He straightened out my thinking
that was terribly flawed
What an inspiring man
With his wisdom, I was awed

Then he continued to say .....
"Thank you for stopping
to talk for a while
Now it's time I leave
But, please take these words
deep into your heart.....
It's important that you believe"

The man smiled, stood up
and slowly walked away
Then, I realized ....
What An Amazing Man
I Spoke With, That Day

So Now, When Someone Has A Bible
To Share, "Good News" With Me
I Ask Them To Sit Down
Please, Let Me See!

~*~~*~~*~