"An old missionary couple that had worked faithfully in the mission field in Africa for over twenty years was returning to New York to retire. These two had no children, no pension, no retirement fund – they were battled, scarred, burnt out. Defeated, discouraged, afraid. On the ferry back to the States, it was discovered that the President Theodore Roosevelt was also aboard, returning from his famous hunting expeditions. The couple watched as people flocked to the president and his entourage. The old man said to his wife, “Something is wrong.”
“Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us." His wife tried to talk him out of this feeling. His reply: “I can’t help it; it just doesn’t seem right.”
When the ship landed at New York, a full band was awaiting the President with loud songs of celebration, including the mayor and other dignitaries. The front page was of the President’s arrival. No one received the missionary couple. They bent over and picked their luggage, slipped off the ship, and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping to see what job they could find the next day.
Every man has his breaking point. That night, the old man broke. He said to his wife, “I can’t take this: God is not treating us fairly.” His wife replied, “Why don’t you go into the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?”
He went in, and after a while appeared transformed – his face was completely different. His wife asked, “What happened?”
He said, “The Lord settled it with me. I poured out my heart, I told Him I was bitter that the President would receive a tremendous homecoming, yet no one met us when we returned home. At that time, I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder and say,"
“You’re not home yet.”
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