We didn't know.
The man, without shelter on that cold night.
The man without food and drink.
The man who was nothing but skin and bones.
We didn't know.
We didn't know the father he was.
We didn't see him in his tie on Christmas eve with the glitter in his eye
He saw his daughter walked down the aisle to receive Christ into her soul.
We didn't see the father as he held his weeping daughter and told her everything would be ok.
We didn't see as he told her that God made all things new and led her by hand into the kingdom of paradise.
We didn't see him then.
We didn't see this father in all of his splendor and magnificence.
We didn't see him fulfill all he was meant to be.
We didn't see him as he gave everyday to the job he hated.
As he sacrificed hour after hour, minute after minute without hesitation.
We missed all of it; he knew we would.
We didn't see the tears fall from his eyes at the funeral of his wife.
We didn't see the soul fall from his chest at the funeral of his daughter.
We simply passed him by in silence and hoped that he wouldn't see us as we saw him.
We hid our daughter from his sight, worried that he would hurt them. But he loved more than we ever could.
He saw more than we ever could.
He needed us more than we ever would.
We walked straight by.
His blood ran cold in the deep of the winter night.
His teeth ceased to chatter all together as his muscles grew so stiff they restricted all movement.
He held out his hand to his daughter as she came to receive him.
Oh! how she wept to see her father again.
Oh! how he wept to receive her.
Then she led him to where it all began.
And his wife held him until he was warm again and introduced him to God.