THE CHRISTMAS GUEST

It happened one day near December's end, two neighbors called on an old-time friend and they found his shop so meager and lean Made gay with a thousand boughs of green.

And Conrad was sitting with a face a'shined when he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine and he said: Old friends at dawn today when the cock was crowing the night away, the Lord appeared to me and said 'I am coming your Guest to be' So I've been busy with feet astir and 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'll wait for my lord to appear and listen closely so i will hear his step as he nears my humble place and i open the door and look on his face'.

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 many sad Christmas Day but he knew with the lord as his Christmas Guest, this Christmas would be the dearest and best.
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 at his door like the vision he had a few hours before.
So he ran to the window after hearing a sound but all he could see on the snow-covered ground was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn, and all of his clothes were ragged and worn. 

But Conrad was touched and he went to the door and said, 'Your feet must be frozen and sore. I have some shoe in my shop for you and a coat that will keep you warmer too'.
So with grateful heart, the man went away. But Conrad noticed the time of day. He wondered what made the Lord late and how much longer he'd have to wait.
When he heard a knock he ran to the door, but it was only a stranger once more, a bent old lady with a shawl of black with a bundle of kindling pile on her back.
She asked for a place to rest. But that was for Conrad's Guest. 

 But her voice seemed to plead Don't send me away: Let me rest for a while on Christmas Day'.
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup and told her to sit at the table and sup. But after she left, he was filled with dismay for he saw that the hours were slipping away.

And the Lord hadn't 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 wandered away and was lost from her family on Christmas Day. Then he led her back to her hoke 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 down 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 kept my word.

Three times my shadow crossed your floor,

Three times i came to your lowly door, for i was the beggar with bruised cold feet, i was the woman you gave something to eat. And i was the Child on the homeless street.
Three times i  knocked: Three times i came in, and each time i found the warmth of a friend. 

Of all the gifts, LOVE is the best; I was honored to be your Christmas Guest.                                                                                                              (Author: Andy Griffith)