"The Story of the Christmas Guest"
It happened one day at the Years white end... Two neighbors called on an old time friend... And they found his shop so meager and mean... Made gay with a thousand boughs of green... And Conrad was sitting with his face a-shine... When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine... And said "Old friends, at dawn today... When the rooster was crowing the night away... The Lord appeared in a dream to me... And said, ‘I am coming your guest to be’… So I’ve been busy with feet astir… strewing my shop with branches of fir… The table is spread and the kettle is shined… And over the rafters the holly is twined… And now I will wait for my Lord to appear… And listen closely so I will hear… His step as He nears my humble place… So his friends went home and left Conrad alone… For this was the happiest day he had known… For, long since, his family had passed away… And Conrad had spent a sad Christmas Day… But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest… This Christmas would be the best… And he listened with only joy in his heart… And with every sound he would rise with a start… And look for the Lord to be standing there… In answer to his earnest prayer. So he ran to the window after hearing a sound… But all that he saw on the snow-covered ground… Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn… And all of his clothes were ragged and worn… So Conrad was touched and went to the door… And said, “Your feet must be frozen and sore… And I have some shoes in my shop for you… And a coat that will keep you warmer, too”… So with a grateful heart the man went away… But Conrad had noticed the time of day… He wondered what made the dear Lord so late… And how much longer he’d have to wait… When he heard a knock and ran to the door… But it was only a stranger once more… A bent, old crone with a shawl of black… A bundle of sticks piled on her back… She asked for only a place to rest… But that was reserved for Conrad’s great guest… But her voice seemed to plead … “Don’t send me away… Let me rest awhile on Christmas day”… So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup… And told her to sit at the table and sup… But after she left she was filled with dismay … For he saw that the hours were passing away … And the Lord had not come as he said he would … And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood … When out of the stillness he heard a cry … “Please help me and tell me where am I”… So again he opened his friendly door … And stood disappointed as twice before … It was only a child who had wondered away … And was lost from her family on Christmas day … Again Conrad’s heart was heavy and sad… But he knew he must make this little girl glad… So he called her in and wiped her tears… And quieted all her childish fears … Then he led her back to her home once more… But as he entered his own darkened door… He knew that the Lord was not coming today… For the hours of Christmas had passed away…
So he went to his room and knelt to pray… And he said, “Dear Lord Why Did You Delay… What Kept You From Coming To Call On Me… For I Wanted So Much Your Face To See”… When soft in the silence a voice he heard… “Lift Up Your Head For I Have Kept My Word… Three times My Shadow Crossed Your Floor… Three Times I Came To You Lonely Door… For I was the Beggar with bruised, cold feet… I was the Woman you gave to eat… And I was the Child on the homeless street.”
I talk to a lot of people in my town, unbelievers and believers, who some go to church and say they are following Jesus. They are either just going to church or are participating in an activity or even trying to get a psychology degree in Christian counseling or many other kinds of approaches to ministry. But when I ask any of these people is the Lord leading them, some even pastors, most look at me kinda strange. I ask them how the Lord is leading them if they are following Jesus.
Does not Gods word says that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved? We need to be in his ship, for an example we can look towards Noah's ship called the Ark. The Lord wants you to be in his ship, leading us in his direction. It’s the Lordship of Jesus, the Lord Jesus.? This usually corners the individual and depending on the growth he might commit his life towards the Lord or try to establish his own righteousness.
shipwrecksoul says, "The greatest prayer you can pray as an unbeliever is DEAR Lord JESUS SAVE ME." One of the greatest prayers you can pray as a believer is Lord DELIVER US FROM EVIL."
very nice! also a bg thank you to those who liked my poem 
