It happened one day at the year's white end
two
neighbors called on an old time friend
and they found
his shop so meager and mean
made bright with a
thousand boughs of green
and Conrad was sitting with
face a-shine
when he suddenly stopped as he stitched a
twine
and said, 'Old friends, at dawn today
when the
cock was crowing the night away
the Lord appeared in a
dream to me
and said, I am coming your Guest to be.
So I've been busy with my feet astir
strewing my
shop with branches of fir
the table is spread and the
kettle is shined
and over the rafters the holly twined
and now I will 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 in 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 a sad Christmas day
but he knew
with the Lord as his Christmas Guest
this Christmas
would be the dearest and best
and 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 standing
there
in answer to his earnest prayer.
So he ran to the window after hearing a sound
but all
that he saw on the snow-covered ground
was a shabby
beggar whose shoes were torn
and all of his clothes
were ragged and worn
So Conrad was touched and went to
the door
and he said, 'Your feet must be frozen and
sore
and I have some shoes 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
the day
he wondered what made the dear Lord so late
and how much longer he'd have to wait
when he heard a
knock and ran to the door
but it was only a stranger
once more
a bent, old woman with a shawl of black
a
bundle of twigs piled on her back
She asked for only a
place to rest
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 passing away
and the Lord had
not 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
Again
Conrad's heart was heavy and sad
but he knew he would
make this little child glad .. so he called her in and
wiped her tears
and quieted all her childish fears
then he led her back to her home 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
lonely door
for I was the beggar with bruised, cold
feet ... I was the woman you gave food to eat
and I was
the child on the homeless street.'
Three times I knocked and three times I came in and
each time I found the warmth of a friend.
Of all the gifts, love is the best, and I was honored
to be your Christmas Guest.
