Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter..
She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.
There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.
She read the letter:
Dear ###:
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. 'Why would the Lord want to visit me?
I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer.'
With that thought, ### remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
'Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer.. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.'
She reached for her purse and counted out its contents.. Five dollars and forty cents.
Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.'
She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving ### with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday..
Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
'Hey lady, can you help us, lady?'
### had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway.
A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
'Look lady, I ain't got a job, you know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us... Lady, we'd really appreciate it..'
### looked at them both.
They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, ### was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.
'Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself.. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him..'
'Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.'
The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
As ### watched them leave, ### felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
'Sir, wait!'
The couple stopped and turned as ### ran down the alley after them.
'Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.'
### handed the man her grocery bag..
'Thank you lady. Thank you very much!'
'Yes, thank you!' It was the man's wife, and ### could see now that she was shivering
'You know, I've got another coat at home..
Here, why don't you take this one.'
### unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.
Then smiling, ### turned and walked back to the street.....without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
'Thank you lady! Thank you very much!'
### was chilled by the time ### reached her front door, and worried too.
The Lord was coming to visit and ### didn't have anything to offer Him.
### fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as ### did, ### noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
'That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.'
Dear ###:
It was so good to see you again.
Thank you for the lovely meal.
And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, ### no longer noticed.
She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.
There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.
She read the letter:
Dear ###:
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. 'Why would the Lord want to visit me?
I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer.'
With that thought, ### remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
'Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer.. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.'
She reached for her purse and counted out its contents.. Five dollars and forty cents.
Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.'
She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving ### with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday..
Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
'Hey lady, can you help us, lady?'
### had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway.
A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
'Look lady, I ain't got a job, you know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us... Lady, we'd really appreciate it..'
### looked at them both.
They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, ### was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.
'Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself.. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him..'
'Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.'
The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
As ### watched them leave, ### felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
'Sir, wait!'
The couple stopped and turned as ### ran down the alley after them.
'Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.'
### handed the man her grocery bag..
'Thank you lady. Thank you very much!'
'Yes, thank you!' It was the man's wife, and ### could see now that she was shivering
'You know, I've got another coat at home..
Here, why don't you take this one.'
### unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.
Then smiling, ### turned and walked back to the street.....without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
'Thank you lady! Thank you very much!'
### was chilled by the time ### reached her front door, and worried too.
The Lord was coming to visit and ### didn't have anything to offer Him.
### fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as ### did, ### noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
'That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.'
Dear ###:
It was so good to see you again.
Thank you for the lovely meal.
And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, ### no longer noticed.
