Christmas story and Bevs Guideposts sweater pattern

This lovely story was sent to my Latter-day Sisters group. I wish I knew who the author was, but it is so relevant and so very true, I wanted to share with all of you, and as a reminder to myself.


Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.

There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.

She read the letter: Dear Ruth: I`m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit. 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." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.

"Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least."

She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us,lady?"
Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.

"Sir, wait!"

The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest."

She handed the man her grocery bag.

"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"

"Yes, thank you!"

It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one."

Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street..without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day."

Dear Ruth: It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat. Love Always, Jesus The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed. May we all remember that we never know when Christ will visit us.
Merry Christmas

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Here is a fun pattern to make up for humanitarian causes, and if you need one, please remember that those little ones at the refugee camps and orphanages, could use sweaters. I am in the middle of making one right now, but when I start the next one, I am going to do it a bit different:

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Bev's Version of the GUIDEPOSTS SWEATER for babies
This version Copyright 2006, Beverly A. Qualheim - All Rights Reserved
Thanks to "Karen "KC"" for making the sweater and taking the photo for us!

Sizes: Child’s sizes 6 months - 1 year (15 months -18 months)
Yarn: 4-medium worsted-weight wool or acrylic, 2 colors if you want stripes.
Amount: 5 oz (7 oz)

Gauge: 4 stitches = 1 inch; 8 rows = 1inch
Needle Size: US Size 9 ( mm) throughout

Back and Front (make 2):
With cast on 39 (45) stitches. Knit for 7 (9) inches. End by working a wrong side row.

Sleeves:
Add on 20 (30) stitches loosely for the first sleeve and knit across 59 (75). Row 2: Add on 20 (30) stitches loosely for the second
sleeve and knit across. You should now have a total of 79 (105) stitches. Continue in stockinette stitch until sleeve measures 4 1/2"
(5"). End by working a wrong side row. Bind off loosely.

Make another sweater piece the same.

Finishing:
Sew shoulder seams leaving a 7" (8") neck opening. Sew sleeve and sides together in one continuous seam using a whip stitch.

Neckline
Sc around the neckline, once or twice depending on your preference. You can use a contrasting color, ie the one used for stripes.

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HUG THE ONES YOU LOVE
Bev Q