Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 1:36 am
originally posted by Snowleopard on 18 Dec 03
The Christmas Eve Dinner
One lonely, cold night a man was seen walking down the frozen sidewalk. He didn’t have much clothing on, except for a thin shirt, a pair of worn, woolen pants, and shoes without socks. He was not wearing a coat and he didn’t have a hat. As he walked, he gazed longingly into the windows of the houses he passed, numbly watching the people inside as they gathered around the table with heaps of food and drink. He watched them laughing and smiling, and he had to turn away for he felt the prickling of tears on his eyes. A brave soul who’d ventured out into the bitter cold, passed him without a word or a second glance. The man continued onto the next street.
There it seemed there were a few more people braving the wind that night. He passed them, listening to their chatter. But not one spoke to him. Again he saw the people in the houses, eating and laughing and staying warm. But no one noticed him.
The man took a seat on a cold, metal bench that was lit by a solitary street lamp. He gazed out into the dark empty street.
A door opened behind him and a little boy of about six appeared in front of the man.
“What’s your name?” the little boy asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” the man replied.
“Why doesn’t it matter?”
“Because no one cares about me,” the man replied.
“It’s cold out here. Would you like to come in and get warm? Mama’s making apple pie for desert. You could have some if you like,” the little boy said and turned to walk up the concrete steps.
The man rose from the bench and followed the little boy into the front entrance of the house.
“Mama, we have a guest!” the little boy cried out as he slipped out of his coat. He took the man’s hand and led him into the kitchen.
The woman who stood by the sink turned, and almost gasped when she saw the man her son was holding by the hand. Trying to recover her manners, the woman held out her hand and said, “Hello, what is your name?”
“Just call me Shepard, please ma’am,” the man replied.
“Ok, would you like to come in and have dinner with us? It’s just me and my son. My husband’s out of town.”
“What a shame, the boy’s father having to miss Christmas Eve dinner,” Shepard said.
“Yes, but it pays the bills and keeps food on the table for our family,” the mother replied.
“I’m hungry, can we eat?” the little boy said.
“Yes, honey.”
And the mother set the table for three and brought all the dinner trimmings out to the table. There was ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, stuffing, and apple pie for desert.
When dinner was finished, Shepard said he had to be going and the mother walked him to their door. She had noticed that he didn’t have many clothes on. “Here,” she said, reaching into the hall closet. “Take my husband’s old jacket to keep you warm.”
“Thank you kindly, ma’am. You sure he wouldn’t mind?”
“Oh, no, he’d be happy to give it to you,” she replied.
When the man had stepped out the door, the mother called to her son. “Joey, who was that man?”
“He was sitting outside, and I invited him in,” the little boy said as he slipped on his coat. He ran outside and closed the door behind him. The mother went back to cleaning up in the kitchen.
Outside, the little boy caught up with the man who had shared dinner with them.
“Mister, who are you?” he said.
The man turned and his appearance changed. He began to glow, and his clothes changed into robes, his shoes to sandals, and he said, “I am the Lord. And you and your mother have passed the test. You were the only one who took the minute to speak to me tonight.”
The little boy just stared wide-eyed at the man, who seemed to be floating above the sidewalk. “So, you’re Jesus?”
“Yes, I am, son, and you are one of my children. Now go on home and remember this night,” the Lord replied.
The boy turned to leave, then turned back toward the man, “But—“
The man was gone.
The little boy ran back to his house and went inside.
“Who was that man?” his mother called from the kitchen.
The little boy went to her side and said, “That was Jesus, and he said we passed a test.”
The mother turned to look at her son, and bent down to hug him.
And looking down on that scene was a figure in the sky………….a glowing figure…….
Merry Chirstmas to all!!!
The Christmas Eve Dinner
One lonely, cold night a man was seen walking down the frozen sidewalk. He didn’t have much clothing on, except for a thin shirt, a pair of worn, woolen pants, and shoes without socks. He was not wearing a coat and he didn’t have a hat. As he walked, he gazed longingly into the windows of the houses he passed, numbly watching the people inside as they gathered around the table with heaps of food and drink. He watched them laughing and smiling, and he had to turn away for he felt the prickling of tears on his eyes. A brave soul who’d ventured out into the bitter cold, passed him without a word or a second glance. The man continued onto the next street.
There it seemed there were a few more people braving the wind that night. He passed them, listening to their chatter. But not one spoke to him. Again he saw the people in the houses, eating and laughing and staying warm. But no one noticed him.
The man took a seat on a cold, metal bench that was lit by a solitary street lamp. He gazed out into the dark empty street.
A door opened behind him and a little boy of about six appeared in front of the man.
“What’s your name?” the little boy asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” the man replied.
“Why doesn’t it matter?”
“Because no one cares about me,” the man replied.
“It’s cold out here. Would you like to come in and get warm? Mama’s making apple pie for desert. You could have some if you like,” the little boy said and turned to walk up the concrete steps.
The man rose from the bench and followed the little boy into the front entrance of the house.
“Mama, we have a guest!” the little boy cried out as he slipped out of his coat. He took the man’s hand and led him into the kitchen.
The woman who stood by the sink turned, and almost gasped when she saw the man her son was holding by the hand. Trying to recover her manners, the woman held out her hand and said, “Hello, what is your name?”
“Just call me Shepard, please ma’am,” the man replied.
“Ok, would you like to come in and have dinner with us? It’s just me and my son. My husband’s out of town.”
“What a shame, the boy’s father having to miss Christmas Eve dinner,” Shepard said.
“Yes, but it pays the bills and keeps food on the table for our family,” the mother replied.
“I’m hungry, can we eat?” the little boy said.
“Yes, honey.”
And the mother set the table for three and brought all the dinner trimmings out to the table. There was ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, stuffing, and apple pie for desert.
When dinner was finished, Shepard said he had to be going and the mother walked him to their door. She had noticed that he didn’t have many clothes on. “Here,” she said, reaching into the hall closet. “Take my husband’s old jacket to keep you warm.”
“Thank you kindly, ma’am. You sure he wouldn’t mind?”
“Oh, no, he’d be happy to give it to you,” she replied.
When the man had stepped out the door, the mother called to her son. “Joey, who was that man?”
“He was sitting outside, and I invited him in,” the little boy said as he slipped on his coat. He ran outside and closed the door behind him. The mother went back to cleaning up in the kitchen.
Outside, the little boy caught up with the man who had shared dinner with them.
“Mister, who are you?” he said.
The man turned and his appearance changed. He began to glow, and his clothes changed into robes, his shoes to sandals, and he said, “I am the Lord. And you and your mother have passed the test. You were the only one who took the minute to speak to me tonight.”
The little boy just stared wide-eyed at the man, who seemed to be floating above the sidewalk. “So, you’re Jesus?”
“Yes, I am, son, and you are one of my children. Now go on home and remember this night,” the Lord replied.
The boy turned to leave, then turned back toward the man, “But—“
The man was gone.
The little boy ran back to his house and went inside.
“Who was that man?” his mother called from the kitchen.
The little boy went to her side and said, “That was Jesus, and he said we passed a test.”
The mother turned to look at her son, and bent down to hug him.
And looking down on that scene was a figure in the sky………….a glowing figure…….
Merry Chirstmas to all!!!