Oh, it was so cold. Ted was delivering the papers alone for the first time. All last week he had gone with Hal who had had the route for four years. Now Hal was moving and Ted was hoping to take it over. He had been given a trial period by the route manager.
“I should have put on warmer gloves,” thought Ted as he lowered his head into the wind, “but I’m almost done.” He turned his jacket collar up around his neck and put his hands into his pockets and walked down the block toward the last house on the route.
About halfway down the block an old lady walking toward him stumbled and dropped her purse. The purse opened and things scattered all over the sidewalk. Ted helped her pick up everything, and then she thanked him and continued down the street. Just then Ted noticed a small case in the grass beside the walk. He picked it up and ran after the lady. She was so happy to get it back that she even asked him his name and where he lived.
As he turned to walk back to where he had left his paper bag, he watched as the wind caught the last paper in the bag and scattered it down the street towards him. He managed to catch all the pages, and with difficulty in the wind he was able to get the paper together again. It was torn and wrinkled, but at least all the pages were there.
As he turned into the last house to put the paper between the front doors, an old man opened the door. “I’m sorry, sir,” Ted said, “but the wind caught the paper and scattered it. All the pages are here, but it’s a little messed up.”
The old man grumbled, “They shouldn’t allow careless little boys like you to deliver the paper. I’m going to complain.”
As Ted returned home he was so upset that tears ran down his cheeks. He had tried so hard, and now there would be a complaint and he might not get to keep the route. When he got home he told his mother the whole story.
“Let’s tell the Lord about it,” she suggested. They knelt down and in their own quiet way each told the Lord Jesus about the problem.
Isn’t it wonderful that we can tell all our troubles to the Lord Jesus. He loved us so much that He died on the cross to wash our sins away. Now He wants us to bring all our problems to Him in prayer.
The next day there was a knock on the door. Ted’s father opened the door. There stood the old man who had grumbled at Ted the day before.
“Does Ted Miller live here?” he asked.
“Yes, come in. I’ll get him,” said his father.
Ted had been standing just inside the kitchen and had heard the man at the door. He walked into the room even before he was called. “I’m sorry about the paper yesterday,” he said almost crying.
“Don’t worry about that, son,” said the old man. “I want to thank you for helping my wife yesterday when she dropped her purse. That case you found and returned to her contained a very valuable ring. I want to give you a reward for being so honest.” He handed Ted a check for $25.00.
Ted and his parents thanked the old man very much. As he turned to leave he said to Ted, “If you have any spare time on Saturdays I can use some help down at the bike shop on Oak Street that my son and I have.”
After he left they all knelt down and thanked the Lord for hearing and answering their prayer in such a nice way.
Isn’t it wonderful to be able to go to the Lord with our problems? First of all you must know Him as your Saviour. You must confess that you are a lost sinner and then accept Him and His work on the cross as the only remedy for that sin. Then as one of His children we can take everything to Him in prayer.
ML-01/25/1981