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 out the door you just say John
3:16, and they will let you in." So he did. He walked up the
steps 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. The boy 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. She took him to a room,
tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up
around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the
lights. As he lay 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 the lady 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 picked up a big old Bible. She
sat down in front of him and looked into his young face.
"Do you understand John 3:16 ?" she asked gently. He
replied, "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 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 was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how
Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the
agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they
watched Jesus suffer and die.
I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept
Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but
it sure does make life worth living.
The bible verse is...
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish, but have eternal life.
