The Worshipper and His Wife

In a town, there was a small house of worship that followed old traditions very strictly. Only men were allowed to worship in the holy place. Women were strictly forbidden from entering.

So each weekend, on the day set aside for worship, a man and his wife would walk down to the holy place. The man would say goodbye to his wife and enter the holy place, where he would spend more than two hours in prayer and meditation, thinking on the will of God.

During the time of worship, his wife would go across the street and into the orphanage. She would spend more than two hours playing with the children, reading them stories, caring for the sick ones, and working with many of the other wives whose husbands were in worship.

When they were old, they both passed away and stood before God. The man said, “Lord, I have worshipped You faithfully in Your holy house every weekend for my whole life.”

The Lord said, “You have ignored My holy place for your entire life. But your wife has been with Me every weekend of her life.”

“But God,” cried the man, “I went to Your house of worship!”

“You walked past My house. Your prayer and meditation were a blessing to you and were nothing to me. But the care your wife showed to My little ones was a blessing to many and true worship of Me.”