Salt In My Eye

He sat there at the gate of the city, watching the sun as it started its descent over the roof tops of the skyline of the city and slowly disappeared into the western horizon. This day like so many other, had brought with it the typical events that had become the trademark for this town. Passing across his desk that day, had been the complaints of some city residents who thought that recent night life arrests were perhaps unfair, a few disturbance of the peace complaints, and the reminder from his wife, that n a few weeks he needed to be booking the band, and banquet hall for his two daughters upcoming weddings.

HE really wasn’t overly fond of those soon to be son-in-laws. In fact the word on the street was that both of them were regulars down at the gay bar, he had tried to talk to his daughters, but both of them and their fiancés seemingly just always laughed him off.

And his wife, What was happening to her anyway? It seemed that lately all she thought about was getting ahead of the Jones, and he couldn’t recall the last time he had seen her even open her bible other than Sunday mornings down at 1st church.

Church, now there was another interesting topic, each week the attendance had been dropping, in fact recently even someone had said after the morning service: “It won’t be long at this rate until there’ll probably be less than 10 people here.”

Twisting the lid on his canteen of water, for some reason the memory of his childhood came to his mind. How can anyone forget: “the hurriedness of the evening” the huddles of relatives and the shushed conversation” he knew dad was sick, but he never realized his dad was this bad. And then his uncle came, with a tear in his eye and told him, “Your daddy’s passed away son” and you’re coming to live with my wife and I.

Yes, he had suffered his share of hard knocks you might say but through it all he had seen his uncles Love for not only him, but his love for God!

Then, just as if it were yesterday he remembered the night his uncle had given him his first herd of cattle, “All yours,” he said: “Make yourself successful boy!”

And by all indications he had done just that! Soon one herd bred another and another until before long his livestock company was thriving. And then came the time when his uncle brought him in for “the famous talk”. The time had come to part their ways, and being the great uncle he had come to expect the decision was given to the nephew to pick his land.

AH yes, he remembered the choice, saying goodbye to uncle, aunt and cousins, and moving to the “big city”.

But because he had been the recipient of such a great childhood from his uncle, it didn’t take long until he had been votes to serve on the city council, then the mayor’s spot came open, and almost like a fairy tale he won the election by a landslide.

It was somewhere in those first few years when he first saw her. Wow, the hometown fair queen…did she ever look beautiful, and for her, finding out his wealth only “enhanced” her desire to become the wife of the Mayor!

So the wedding was planned, the years had passed, and they had been blessed with two lovely girls: the apple of their daddy’s eye!

But now sitting there on the bench by the gate, a tear began to form in the corner of his eye, as he reflected back, and then he brought out his handkerchief and wiped the scalding tear.

God, the church, his wife, his girls, the city…it seemed as if he was losing them one by one!

Oh the economy was good, building was up, people seemed happy…but the church, his relationship with God, his family’s relationship, especially his wife, it almost seemed non-existent!

Hummmm….he muttered to himself, this coming church year, we really do need to get re-committed!

Half asleep and lost in his thoughts he was somewhat rattled when seemingly out of no where appeared to men. Although they appeared very road weary, there was an unbelievable glow in their faces…why he though to himself they almost look like angels!

Rising with little effort he stood to his feet and greeted them "My lords," he said, "come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up in the morning as early as you like and be on your way again."

"Oh no," they said, "we’ll just spend the night out here in the city square." But he insisted, so at last they went home with him. HE hurriedly ran to his wife and daughters and told them to fix some extra supper tonight, and before long He set a great feast before them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast.