In the city of Chicago, one cold,
dark night, a blizzard was setting in.
A little boy was selling
newspapers on the corner,
the people were in and out of the cold.
The little boy was so cold that he
wasn't trying to sell many papers.
He walked up to a policeman and said,
"Mister, you wouldn't happen to know
where a poor boy could find a
warm place to sleep tonight would you?
You see, I sleep in a box up
around the corner there and
down the alley and it's awful
cold in there, of a night.
Sure would be nice to have
a warm place to stay."
The policeman looked down
at the little boy and said,
"You go down the street to
that big white house and
you knock on the door.
When they come out the door
you just say John 3:16 and
they will let you in."
So he did, he walked up the
steps to the door, and knocked
on the door and a lady answered.
He looked up and said, "John 3:16."
The lady said "Come on in, Son."
She took him in and she sat
him down in a split bottom
rocker in front of a great big
old fireplace and she went off.
He sat there for a while,
and thought to himself
"John 3:16....
I don't understand it, but
it sure makes a cold boy warm."
Later she came back and asked him
"Are you hungry?" He said,
"Well, just a little.
I haven't eaten in a couple
of days and I guess I could
stand a little bit of food."
The lady took him in the
kitchen and sat him down to a
table full of wonderful food.
He ate and ate until he
couldn't eat any more.
Then he thought to himself
"John 3:16...
Boy, I sure don't understand
it, but it sure makes
a hungry boy full."
She took him upstairs to
a bathroom to a huge bathtub
filled with warm water and
he sat there and soaked for
a while. As he soaked,
he thought to himself,
"John 3:16...
I sure don't understand it,
but it sure makes a dirty boy clean.
You know, I've not had a bath,
a real bath, in my whole life.
The only bath I ever had
was when I stood in front of
that big old fire hydrant
as they flushed it out."
The lady came in and got him,
and took him to a room
and tucked him into a big
old feather bed and pulled
the covers up around his neck
and kissed him goodnight
and turned out the lights.
As he laid in the darkness
and looked out the window at
the snow coming down on that
cold night he thought to himself,
"John 3:16...
I don't understand it, but it
sure makes a tired boy rested."
The next morning she came
back up and took him down
again to that same big
table full of food.
After he ate she took him
back to that same big old
split bottom rocker in front
of the fireplace and she took
a big old Bible and sat
down in front of him and she
looked up at and she asked,
"Do you understand John 3:16?"
He said, "No, Ma'am, I don't.
The first time I ever
heard it was last night
when the policeman told
me to use it."
She opened the Bible to
John 3:16 , and she began to
explain to him about Jesus.
Right there in front of
that big old fireplace he
gave his heart and life to Jesus.
He sat there and thought,
"John 3:16.
I don't understand it,
but it but it sure makes
a lost boy feel safe."
You know, I have to confess
I don't understand it either,
how God would be willing to
send His Son to die for me,
and how Jesus would agree
to do such a thing.
I don't understand it either,
but it sure does make
life worth living.
~ Author Unknown ~
For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
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