Prison Place

~~A Christmas Story~~

Ruth went to her mail box where she found a single letter. The envelope had no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. The letter read:

Dear Ruth . . . .I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit . . . .Love Always, . . . .Jesus.

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. She wondered, "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special."

She then remembered that she had no food in the house and only a few dollars. She threw on her coat and hurried to the grocery where she purchased bread, sliced turkey, and a carton of milk. Only twelve cents remained to last her until Monday. None the less, she felt blessed as she headed home with her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans that she had not noticed a man and woman huddled in the alleyway. Their clothes were little more than rags. He continued, "I don't have a job. It's getting cold and we're hungry. Could you help us, lady? We'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them. They were dirty, smelled badly, and she thought that they could work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. I only have a few cold cuts, some bread, and milk. I'm having a guest for dinner tonight and this is all I've got."

"I understand lady. Thanks anyway," the man replied. The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned, and headed back into the alley.

Ruth called to the couple, "Wait, take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her bag. They thanked Ruth. Seeing that the wife was shivering, Ruth removed her coat and gave it to the woman. Again, they thanked her.

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door. She was worried because Jesus was coming and she had nothing to feed him. As she was about to enter her home she noticed another letter in the mail box. She wondered why the mail would come twice in one day.

She took the envelope from the box and read these words: 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.