The Boy Next Door Part 2

I was eight years old in the second grade when an older boy named Rodney asked me to come to church with him. There was a bus service and it would come down my road and pick me up if I wanted to go. Mom bought me some dress clothes and a clip on tie and off to church I went. Rodney was a great friend to me and showed me the ropes of this church thing, had it not been for him, I would not have come back more than a time or two.

I invited Harlan often and he came with me occasionally. It was easy to see that he didn’t fit in, and he was painfully aware of it. It seemed like my church had no room for the grubby little boy who wore shirts too small for him and pants with thin knees. Harlan never talked about it, but after the first time he came it was much harder to get him to come again.

I enjoyed singing Do Lord oh Do Lord while Harlan found himself out of place and alone on Sunday mornings. I would come home on the church bus, change my clothes and we would play together. We didn’t talk much about church, except when my Sunday school teacher would press us to invite someone to church. Harlan was my best friend; he was the one I wanted to invite. This went on for years, I don’t remember when I stopped asking, I just stopped.

Comments

[Dawn Lovitt]

Ed, I am really enjoying - is that the right word - this story, I hope you decide to continue sharing it.

[Carol]

I understand how your friend felt. I too attended a Church that I never felt comfortable in. The good news is it lead me to Salvation (by the Grace of God) but, I no longer ateend Church!