A HEART WARMER

This will touch your heart.
Here is a true story about a
nine year old boy who lived in a rural town in Tennessee ..
His house was in a poor area of the community.
A church had a bus ministry that came knocking on his door one afternoon.
The kid came to answer the door and greeted the bus pastor.
The bus pastor asked if his parents were home and the
small boy told him that his parents take off every weekend and leave him at
home to take care of his little brother. The bus pastor couldn't believe what
the kid said and asked him to repeat it.
The youngster gave the same answer and the bus pastor asked to come in and talk with him.
They went into the living room and sat down on an old couch with the foam and springs
exposed.

The bus pastor asked the kid, 'Where do you go to church? The
young boy surprised the visitor by replying, 'I've never been to church in my
whole life.'

The bus pastor thought to himself about the fact that his
church was less than three miles from the child's house. 'Are you sure you
have never been to church?' he asked again. 'I sure haven't', came his answer.

Then the bus pastor said, Well, son, more important than going to
church, have you ever heard the greatest love story ever told?' and then
he proceeded to share the Gospel with this little nine year old boy. The young
lad's heartbegan to be tenderi zed and at the end of the bus pastor's
story the bus pastor asked if the boy wanted to receive this free gift from God.

The youngster exclaimed, 'You bet!'
The kid and the bus pastor got on their knees and the lad invited Jesus into his little heart and
received the free gift of salvation. They both stood up and the bus pastor
asked if he could pick the kid up for church the next morning. 'Sure,'
the nine old replied.

The bus pastor got to the house early the next
morning and found the lights off. He let himself in and snaked his way through
the house and found the little boy asleep in his bed. He woke up the little
boy and his brother and helped get them dressed. They got on the bus and ate a
donut for breakfast on their way to church. Keep in mind that this boy had
never been to church before. The church was a real big one. The little kid
just sat there, clueless of what was going on

A few minutes into the servi ce these tall unhappy guys walked down to the front and picked up some wooden plates. One of the men prayed and the kid with utter fascination
watched them walk up and down the aisles. He still didn't know what was going on.
All of a sudden like a bolt of lightning it hit the kid what was taking
place. These people must be giving money to Jesus. He then reflected on the
free gift of life he had received just twenty-four hours earlier. He
immediately searched his pockets, front and back, and couldn't find a thing to
give Jesus. By this time the offering plate was being passed down his aisle
and with a broken heart he just grabbed the plate and held on to it. He
finally let go and watched it pass on down the aisle. He turned around to see
it passed down the aisle behind him. And then his eyes remained glued
on the plate as it was passed back and forth, b ack and forth all the way to the
rear of the sanctuary.
Then he had an idea.

This little nine year old boy, in front of God and everybody, got up out of his seat. He walked about
eight rows back, grabbed the usher by the coat and asked to hold the plate one
more time. Then he did the most astounding thing I have ever heard of. He took
the plate, sat it on the carpeted church floor and stepped into the center of
it. As he stood there, he lifted his little head up and said, 'Jesus, I don't
have anything to give you today, but just me. I give you me!'

I do love Jesus. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me
functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I will be nothing. Without Him, I
am nothing. With Him I can do all things.
Phil 4:13