Mrs. Cooper carefully folded her last piece of ironing and set aside her heavy iron. It was a very hot afternoon and, although she was tired from her day’s work, she looked very happy and peaceful.
“Jenny,” she called. “Come here and run an errand for me, will you please?”
In a moment her little daughter Jenny was by her side.
“Yes, Mother, what may I do for you?”
“Will you please take this basket of ironing over to Mrs. Patterson’s home? I promised it to her for this evening.”
“All right, Mother, I won’t be long.”
And with a cheerful smile Jenny picked up the basket and started down the road. Although she had quite often been to Mrs. Patterson’s home with ironing from her mother, she was always just a little timid, for it was such a grand and beautiful home and so very different from Jenny’s humble home.
This time Mrs. Patterson herself answered the door, and took the basket of ironing from little Jenny.
“Hello, Jenny, my dear. Would you care to come inside for a few minutes?’
Very shyly Jenny stepped inside, and followed Mrs. Patterson as she showed her the beautiful pictures, lovely carpets, and the flowers which she had arranged here and there throughout the various rooms of her home.
“Don’t you think these things are lovely, Jenny?”
“Yes, Mrs. Patterson, they are certainly pretty. What a beautiful home for Jesus to visit. Does He ever come here?”
There was quite a long pause, and then Mrs. Patterson answered slowly, “Why no, Jesus doesn’t visit here.”
“Don’t you ever ask Him?” said Jenny. “We have only a room and a bedroom and we have no carpets or pretty things, but Jesus comes and makes us very happy in our home.”
Very little more was said, but I feel sure that Mrs. Patterson would not soon forget the remark of her little visitor.
I wonder how it is with the one who is reading this story. It may be that yours is not a home where Jesus is free to visit, but at least you can make Him welcome in your own heart, and I hope that you will do so now. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20).
ML 12/30/1956