It was a cold, dark night in the city… A blizzard was settling in. People were scurrying in and out of the cold as a little boy made an attempt at hawking his newspapers. The little boy was so cold that he was ready to quit.

Finally, he walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a fella' could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner and down the alley and it's awful cold in there at night. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

The policeman looked at the boy and pointed, "Go down the street to that big white house and knock at the door. When the lady answers the door, just say, 'John 3:16' and she will let you in."

The boy walked to the house, up the steps to the door, and knocked. A little old lady answered.

He looked up at her and said, "John 3:16."

The lady said "Come on in, son."

She led him to a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace. He sat there by the crackling fire warming himself, and thought, "John 3:16… I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm."

A little later the lady came back and asked the boy, "Are you hungry?"

He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food."

The lady showed him into the kitchen and sat him down to a table spread wide with delicious food. He ate and ate until he could eat no more. Then he thought to himself, "John 3:16… Boy, I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full."

The little old lady then took the boy upstairs to a bathroom and showed him a huge tub filled with hot fragrant bubbly water where he sat and soaked for a long while. As he soaked, he thought to himself, "John 3:16… I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold, dirty boy feel warm and clean. I haven't had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out."

After a while, the lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him good night and turned out the light. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow falling silently and softly on that cold night he thought to himself, "John 3:16… I don't understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy feel rested."

Next morning the old lady came and woke the boy and led him down to the kitchen, and a big breakfast. After he ate she took him back to the big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and, holding a big old Bible, sat down near him and asked, "Do you understand John 3:16?"

He said, "No, ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to say it."

The old lady opened the Bible to John 3:16, and she began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there in front of that big old fireplace he gave his heart and life to Jesus.

He sat there and thought, "John 3:16… I don't understand it, but it but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe."