In the city of Chicago one cold, dark night as a blizzard was setting in, a little boy was selling newspapers on the corner.

The people were passing by, trying to hurry home to their warm homes where they'd be in out of the cold. The little boy was cold and wasn't selling many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight do you?" He said, "You see, I live in a box up around the corner there, down the alley. It gets awful cold in there in the night and it sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big, white house and knock on the door. When they come to the door you just say 'John 3:16' and they'll let you in."

And, so he did. He walked up the steps of the house and knocked on the door. A lady come to the door and he looked up and said, "John 3:16."

They lady said, "Come on in, son." She took him in and sat him in front of a great big, old fireplace. And then she left. He sat there for a while and he thought to himself, "John 3:16, I don't understand it, but it sure does make a cold boy warm."

Later she came back and she asked him, "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days. I guess I could stand a little bit of food."

She took him into the kitchen and sat him down at a table just full of nice food. He ate until he couldn't stand anymore and then he thought to himself again, "John 3:16, I don't understand it, but it sure does make a hungry boy full."

She took him off upstairs to a bathroom with a big, old bathtub filled with warm water. He sat there and he soaked for a while and as he soaked he thought to himself, "My, my, John 3:16, I don't understand it, but it sure does make a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath I guess in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of the big, old fire hydrant and they flushed them out."

She came in and got him and tucked him into a big, old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the light.

As he lay there in the darkness he looked out the window. The snow was coming down, and it was cold and dark outside. He thought to himself, "My, John 3:16, I don't understand it, but it sure does make a tired boy rested."

The next morning she came back up and took him downstairs to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back into that same split-bottom rocker in front of the fireplace. She took a big, old Bible, sat down in front of him, looked up at him and said, "Do you understand John 3:16?" And he said, no, ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it."

So she opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him Jesus. Right there in front of that big, old fireplace he gave his heart and his life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, "My, my John 3:16, I don't understand it, but it sure does make a lost boy saved."

You know I have to confess that I don't understand it either. How could God be willing to send His Son to die for me? And how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand it either. But you know, it sure does make a lost person saved.