The church on the hill had many visitors. The preacher gave his sermon each Sunday and the congregation praised God for his wisdom. A little boy named Mickey came and stood outside every time the preacher spoke his words of wisdom. Mickey sat down on the top step and opened the door a crack so he could listen. He quickly got up and ran behind the building quickly as the church goers left. He never let anyone see him because he was homeless and not dressed as nice as the others that visited the church. Mickey made his home in a little cove behind the church where no one could see nor bother him.

One Saturday evening as the preacher entered the church he saw the little boy out of the corner of his eye. He clutched his Bible and with a little smile sat it down on the edge of the step hoping the little boy would come up and fetch it. After the preacher entered the church, Mickey surely ran up to the step and took the Bible that the preacher left behind. He skipped happily down to his little cove, sat down on the ground and began looking over each picture in the Bible. Mickey was sad because he couldn't read; he was ten years old and never went to school. He lay back in the grass and continued to flip the pages of the Bible. He looked up to the sky and sighed heavily, "God, if you can, please help me read. I know that the preacher man says you will do anything for me if I ask." A tear formed in his eyes as he looked down to the Bible and seen a picture of Jesus on the cross. He looked back up to the sky, "Thank you for Jesus God, I know I will learn to read some day."

On Sunday the church on the hill was open for services. Mickey was running late because he had stayed up all night the day before looking at the pictures in the Bible. After everyone gathered and took their seats the preacher cleared his throat, "Today I want to talk to you all about mercy and the things we do for others." The church goers looked to the preacher with amazement and listened to his words. The preacher began his sermon, "We have an unseen visitor every Sunday outside our church. He is a little ten year-old homeless boy. Though I do not know his name, I know that he sits there and listens to every word spoken by me in my sermons." A tear forms in his eyes, "The reason I say he is homeless is because I've seen him myself, he has no family to speak of and he is always dirty." He nods with sadness, "My God had mercy upon this little child and allowed me to see him out of the corner of my eye last evening. This little boy is no longer homeless; his home is with us now. We will slowly invite him into our church and give him the love that God has given us." The preacher silently bowed his head, "Let us pray for this little boy." They all bowed their heads remembering the little boy and all the hard things he went through. After services, everyone left as they normally did, however; they left gifts for the boy behind on the step. The preacher waited for the little boy to show up but he never did. He left the church and went home.

During the week, Mickey visited the church again to find all the gifts others had left for him. He sighed in deeply and began to cry; he looked up to the sky and said, "God, you have blessed me with these things, thank you. Please bless me with the reading someday." The preacher was inside the church with the door cracked so he could hear his prayer. He opened the door and stepped out on to the step, he smiled to Mickey, "Your prayer has been answered little boy. I will teach you how to read." Mickey looked up to the preacher and with a tear stained face he looked up to the sky and said, "Oh God thank you for giving me this chance to learn to read. I will not let you down." He walked up to the second step as the preacher sat down and opened up his Bible. Mickey looked to the Bible and began to listen to the preacher as he read aloud the verses.

Years later as Mickey grew up into a man he returned to the church on the hill that he visited when he was a boy. He took his son by the hand and entered within and took his place where the old preacher stood and shook his hand. Mickey's son sat down in the front row with members of his own family. The preacher sat down with a bright smile. Mickey spoke to everyone present, "Years ago I was a homeless boy and I visited this same church, some of you I remember. I didn't know anyone and I didn't know how to read." He began to softly cry, "I was shown mercy and was treated good by God and everyone here. The preacher taught me how to read and found me a happy home to live in. After I grew up I decided that I wanted to be a preacher. I came today to thank you all for believing in me and for giving me love and mercy." Mickey's family sat in the front of the church with thankful looks. Mickey nodded over to the preacher, "Thank you for having mercy and taking me in. You have done the kindness that no one did; you told me about Jesus and taught me how to read the Bible." He nods, "I may not have a lot of money, but I have Jesus and to me that is riches beyond what I could ever hope for." He nodded to everyone and walked over to the preacher and hugged him. Everyone stood up, clapped for Mickey, and began to praise God for the work that he did in Mickey's life.

Jennifer Robinson © 2003