THE BEAUTIFUL HAPPENING

Once upon a time in Bible days a little baby was born with crooked legs. His body grew, but his legs remained crooked and he was never able to run and play as other boys did. Whenever he could, he crawled to the place where children were having fun. There he would sit in the shadows . . . a pitiful little boy dreaming that someday a miracle might happen to him so that he, too, could walk and leap and shout with joy.

When this little boy with the crooked legs became a man he was still having to crawl from place to place or sometimes if he were fortunate, someone might carry him. He usually spent most of his days at the gate of the Temple called Beautiful. Here this little crippled man would beg for money.

Naturally, some days he was not very clean, for who could keep from getting soiled while crawling through the dirt. Holding out his grubby hand he would cry out most pitifully, "Please, please put a penny in my cup." Rarely did anyone do this, however, and very often the little man would sit all day long without so much as a single person stopping to even speak to him. This poor little man was so hungry that he may have spent much of his time thinking of ripe figs, purple grapes and juicy melons . . . for it had been years since he had tasted such delicious fruit. Most of his food consisted of crusts of bread and scraps of spoiled meat which people threw at him as one would throw a bone to a dog.

Though being hungry bothered this little man, it did not trouble him half as much as thinking that the beautiful childhood dream he had once had of walking and leaping might never come true. Every day that he grew older and more stiff in the joints he realized that such a happening was far from likely.

Then one day an amazing thing happened in front of the gate called Beautiful. Two strangers walked by. The names of these men were Peter and John. There was something different about them. There was a special look on their faces that seemed to say their hearts were full of surprises for they talked and walked and looked as though something wonderful was about to happen. The little man with the crooked legs thought it was pleasurable just to gaze upon them.

"Please, please put a penny in my cup," he called out as they drew near.

The men were actually smiling at him and though they were walking briskly by, they suddenly stopped where he was squatting in the dirt.

Indeed, these men were different. He may have thought they just might put enough in his cup for a bunch of ripe figs, or a juicy melon or some purple grapes. Anyway, he was positive something special was going to happen.

"Please put a penny in my cup," the little man repeated.

The man called Peter spoke, "I'm sorry," he said, "but silver and gold have I none."

"Oh, oh'" thought the little man disappointedly. "These men have nothing but smiles."

"But," continued Peter quickly, "What I do have I am going to give to you."

Now the little man really became excited. Peter did have something after all . . . but what? What could it be? He could plainly see they carried nothing in their hands. They did not have anything on top of their heads (in those days people often carried things in such a manner). They did not appear to be carrying a single thing . . . or could it be that they might have some hidden goodie beneath their loose robes?

"Hold out your hands!" said Peter . . . and his eyes were dancing.

For a second the little man held back, for another thought had come to him. What if this were just a cruel hoax? What if these men were about to play a joke on him?

"Look on us," said Peter and glancing up into their kind faces the little man knew the thoughts he had could not be true, and so, trembling with excitement, he did as Peter had asked. Setting his cup on the ground he held out his shaking hands. He now fully expected to receive something from them though he hadn't an idea in the world what it might be.

Peter repeated . . . "Silver and gold have I none . . . but what I do have, I give to you." Then reaching down he cupped his strong hands over the little man's bony fingers.

Oh how firm and strong and warm were Peter's hands! And how kind his eyes!

Then Peter said something startling. Taking hold of the little man's right hand he said with power and authority, "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk!"

At the name of Jesus something began to take place in the little man's crooked legs. There was a tickling and a stirring in the man's veins. Not for years had there been in them any feeling at all, but now his ankle bones received strength. Something wonderful was happening. It was as if his stiff old bones were coming to life under a power that was hard to describe. Warmth and life spread from the tip of his toes to the tops of his thighs, and obeying Peter's command, while still grasping Peter's strong hand, he rose to his feet. Then wonder of wonders his childhood dream started coming true. He walked and then leaped and then he began with a joyful voice to praise God! Looking down he saw that no longer were his legs crooked but were now sturdy and straight!

By this time a crowd had gathered. People who had seen this cripple begging at the gate for years and years could not believe their eyes. Every person stood staring, with his mouth wide open in surprise.

Now Peter stepped forward. "Why are you filled with such amazement?" he asked. "Why should you be so surprised at what has happened? Do you think we did this? Do you think it was our power that made this man walk?

"Not so," he shouted when no one gave him an answer. "This great miracle that you have seen happen before your eyes, was done by faith. Faith in the name of Jesus has healed this man. Faith in Jesus' name has given this man a perfect healing."

From this beautiful happening told to us in the Bible, many people have come to believe that all things are possible with God. So you, who are reading this story--remember this all of your life--that whatever may happen to you, you can always turn to God for His help and He will answer!