Nobody Knew Why









Each year about this time, I'm reminded of a story about a bearded old man and his faithful old dog, who lived on the outskirts of town. Nobody knew where he came from, nobody even knew his name---except the Lord.





He seldom ever came to town, for his needs were few and nobody knew how he survived---except the Lord.





Folks at church never visited him, and every Sunday he was avoided, in his ragged but clean clothes, for nobody cared---except the Lord.





Unknown to anybody,--except the Lord, he had compassion for kids, animals, and the less fortunate. Forbidden by their parents to come near his old shack, the kids came anyway. Nobody knew it---except the Lord.





The old man would tell them endless tales and whittle out wood carvings for each while his old dog watched. In fact, his old dog was the only faithful friend he had---except the Lord.





Strange things happened around this town that no one could explain---except the Lord. A poor widow lived just down the road, and each time her winter firewood was almost gone, a new supply would mysteriously appear. And nobody knew where it came from---except the Lord.





At the local orphans home, a real Santa Claus showed up and each child received the gift they'd wished for. And everybody was totally surprised---except the Lord.





A local farmer down on his luck was long overdue on his mortgage payments. Then the bank called to tell him his note was paid in full. The banker, nor anyone else knew who paid it---except the Lord.





The daughter of some less fortunate parents was hopelessly crippled and couldn't walk. Her whole outlook changed when from nowhere there appeared a wheelchair in her room. And nobody knew who had sent it---except the Lord.





Many more acts of love and giving occurred in this town, and nobody knew why---except the Lord.





Then one day a group of kids came to his shack, but the old man was not there to greet them in his usual way. One of the older boys entered the house, lit only by a single kerosene lamp, and found the faithful old dog lying beside his master's empty bed. Nobody knew where he'd gone---except the Lord.





On the table beside the bed was an old and well-read bible. Nobody knew the old man even had a bible---except the Lord.





It was turned to the book of John, Chapter Three, and carefully underlined was the one verse depicting the greatest gift known to mankind... "For God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whosoever believeth in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life."





Underlined was the word GAVE.