Subject: John 3:16
 
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.
 
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.

R.W.P.