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Roberto T. Cast
05-16-03, 10:34 PM
>> 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'd like to
>> stop by for a visit.
>> Love Always,
>> God
>>
>> 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
>> its contents. Five
>> dollars and forty cents. "Well, I
>> can get some bread and
>> cold! d 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 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
>> 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
>> God
>>
>> The air was still cold,
>> but even without her
>> coat, Ruth no longer
>> noticed.
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