Daily Encouragement For February 08:

Stephanie saw the mail truck pass by, she went to her mailbox, pulled our her mail, to find one letter. She
looked at the envelope, there was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She walked back to the house, opened the letter and began to read it.

Dear Stephanie,
I am going to be in your neighborhood tonight and I would like to stop by for a visit. If it is not too much trouble, would you care to have a chat.

Love Always, Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer, God." With that thought, Stephanie remembered her
empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I don't even have any food to offer Him. I will have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner."

Stephanie reached for her purse, dumped out everything, nervously looking for some cash, she managed to scramble about $5.25. “Well, at least I can get a little something." It was very cold outside so, she threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

Stephanie found a loaf of Italian bread on sale, picked up a can of tuna, and a half gallon of milk...leaving Stephanie with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. However, she felt good and eager for he guest to arrive.

As she headed home she heard a voice, “Ms! Can you help us Ms? Stephanie looked around and noticed two people standing on the side of the road. A man and a woman, both of them looking cold and wet. The man said, “I'm sorry to bother you, but my wife and I are in need, we were robbed and we have been walking down this road for hours, we do not have any money, we are hungry and cold, could you kindly help us?”

Stephanie looked at them both, “I am sorry, I would really like to help you, but I have no money to give you, I just spent all I have on these few groceries. You see, I have a very important guest coming to dinner tonight and was planning on serving this to Him.

“The man replied, “Well, we do not want any money, just anything you could do to help us.”

Stephanie replied, “I am sorry, I must go.”

“Okay, Ms. I understand, thank you for stopping and taking the time to talk to us.” The man answered. He put his arm around his woman's shoulders and began walking away.

As she watched them leave, she felt something in her heart, "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and looked back at her. She handed the man her grocery back, took off her coat and gave it to the woman. “Here you go, I can figure something else out.”

"Thank you Ms! Thank you very much!" the man's wife, hugged her. Then smiling, she headed for home without her coat and with nothing to serve her important guest. As Stephanie walked home, she thought, “Jesus is coming to visit and I have nothing to offer Him.” Now, cold herself, she fumbled through her purse to find the door key. But as she did, she noticed an envelope wedged in the door.

She opened the letter,

Dear Stephanie,
It was so good to see you again, thank you for the wonderful meal and the beautiful coat too. It was very kind of you to offer all you had for me.

Love Always, Jesus.

It's not what we give to God that matters, it's give all we have that matters.

“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” -Luke 21:1-4.