JOHN 3:16 - A STORY

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
for tonight. 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 to 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.

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.  She looked up at him 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 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

 John 3:16
   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.

This story was submitted to me by my dear friend, Becky Martarelli

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