by Vernon Hammett

At 11:00 one cold December night after a date with my wife we approached the back door of our home in the inner city of Saint Louis, MO and as I fumbled for my house key I stepped on something on my doormat.

It wasn’t something, it was someone! As my mind raced to remember my Army training a small voice said “It’s me Mr. Carey, Stinky!”

Stinky was one of the kids from our neighborhood tutoring program who had been dubbed “Stinky” by his own family. He was in fact stinky. He was not accustomed to proper hygiene and he was often embroiled in some form of trouble with his family or his friends. He had assumed the identity of his nickname Stinky. This night he had been involved in a particularly bad brawl in his own home and was looking for a safe place to crash so he decided to try the youth leaders’ home.

Stinky had been in close relationship with my family for several years and so he was welcome to stay over after a call to his mother. Stinky was allowed inside because he needed love. He needed hope. He needed help. He had no merit to make him a worthy guest. He only had relationship with the master of the house to recommend him.

Many times in our lives we are stinky. We have no merit to make us a worthy guest, we have no hope in our own performance or ability, beyond the fact that we have a relationship with the Master of the house. But just like with Stinky that relationship is enough to grant entry into a warm place of rest for our weary souls.

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:27-30)