> > > KEEP THIS GOING, IF YOU CAN! > > 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 Ruth: > > I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I would like > to 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, Ruth 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 it's 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 Ruth with > grand total of 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?" > > Ruth 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, ya 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." > > Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, > she 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 he headed > back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar > twinge in her heart. > > "Sir, wait!" > > The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. > > > "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to > serve my guest." > > She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" > "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she > was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't > you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the > woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the > street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. > > "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!" > > Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. > The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. > > She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she > noticed another envelope in her mailbox. > > "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took > the envelope out of the box and opened it. > > Dear Ruth: > > 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, Ruth no longer noticed. > > > If you love Jesus, send this to ten people. Do not keep this message. The > mantra must leave your hands within 96 hours. You will get a very pleasant > surprise. This is true, even if you are not superstitious. >